The Phone, the phone is ringing
by jasmine-brown
Summary: Bella is having a hard time to adjust to Ed and Jake leaving her, what if she turned to other people that understood her for who she is?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Well, this year turned out well. My best friend hates me, my boyfriend left me and I have been in far too many accidents than I would care to be in. So all in all, an excellent year. Oh, and my head is currently down the toilet, yakking up the beer that I had.

You see, when my boyfriend, Edward, left me I had my best friend, Jacob, to lean on and cry my tears on his shoulder. He was how I had coped through the dreadful times of my grief. I slowly got back on my feet and went round Jacobs' house more because I just wanted to see him. Things were going well, until he buggered off to Sam Uley and his steroid filled gang. I had no one to cry on. I was alone.

I just decided that I didn't care about my health anymore. If my sun was gone then my whole world was meaningless. I would rather die than live an empty life. I have tried to contact Jacob, but he just slams the phone down or his dad answers and tells me the lie that he is not in. I've known Billy all my life and my dad is the chief of police, I can tell a lie when I hear one.

So I resulted to trying to drink myself to death. It hasn't worked out so far. Just a lot of chocking on my own sick was the best case of dying I could muster up. I was hopeless at suicide attempts, was there anything that I was actually good at? I do fairly well in science and trig, and I'm one of the best chess players around, so my opponents say. I just am a failure; of a friend, girlfriend, lab partner, team player. The list is endless.

I thought that I could manage a beer, its smell weird so it was a challenge for me to down. It tasted vile, try mixing stale apples with ethanol you make in class and there you have a cheap alcohol. It wasn't the best decision I had to make in my life, and I assure you it won't happen again. It was a temporary distraction, it was avoiding the inevitable. It was that time of day again. The time of the day where I attempt to call Jacob by all means that I posses.

I reluctantly got up off the blue checked bathroom floor and washed my hands in the polcerain white sink. I thoroughly disliked the combinations of bathroom attire that my mom and dad had chosen over sixteen odd years ago. Everything mismatched. It annoyed a perfectionist like me to hell and back. I left the bathroom behind and stormed down the stairs. He _will_ pick up the phone. He doesn't have a choice in the matter. I will tell him my mind and he _will_ listen.

He would hopefully see reason and come knocking on my door, apologizing his head off, saying how sorry he was for deserting me and how he wishes that I could take him back in my small book of friends and things would be as they were.

If only the imaginary tale could come true.

I picked up the phone off the wall and dialled the number that I knew better than my own. The phone rang.

And rang

And rang some more.

The phone was ringing. What would I say?

AN: soooooo, how do ya like it? review please! I dont own twilight but i do own the actions that the characters do in this particular fan-fiction. aiming for 400-700 words per chapter, one chapter every day/ 2 days. ( i would let loose about 2000 words but i am tired and i have coursework to do.)


	2. Chapter 2

The phone continued to ring. What if he wasn't there, or what if he told his dad to say he's not in, it was a lame excuse but it still torethrough me. What if he picks up the phone? Would he grovel on his knees, begging for my forgiveness, or would he shrug me off and leave me to my own bad suicide attempts?

"Hello, Black residence, Jacob speaking." I heard the voice say. That voice alone healed up the hole that he left behind. Just hearing that voice made me feel immensely better.

"Jake?" my voice was barely a whisper. I cleared my throat. "It's Bella."

"Bella? Bella! Long time no speak! How've you been?" Jacob happily said.

How have I been? Didn't his dad tell him I was a wreck? Didn't Billy tell him I've been calling everyday when I wake up, get home from school and before I go to sleep?

"I've been a wreck, or didn't your dad tell you that I phoned you numerous times and yet you weren't in? I've considered suicide as I thought you hated me so much that you wouldn't even look at me when I served you at the shop, you wouldn't pick up calls or even send a text. And after He left, the only reason I was going through each day was because I was going to see you at the end of it. You were my sun, my warm-always-there sun, which never went out on me. And yet you did then my world became a complete waste. I see no reason to be in this world if I can't be with you."

There was a silence. I could hear Jake breathing. "Bella, you should become a poet or a writer, cause that was pure creative stuff there. Beside what are you talking about? My dad said you didn't call at all, my mobile has spontaneously combusted and I haven't been in much anyways. I did ask my dad if you did but he said no."

Jakes dad lied to him? That wasn't like Billy at all. "So you don't hate me?"

"Bella!" he said immediately. "I could never hate you. I love you for crying out loud, and it's so obvious that your friends think I'm a love sick puppy! Which of course I am."

I laughed. I really laughed. Jake was so cute when he expressed himself, even over the phone.

"But I have been avoiding you." He said quietly.

"Why? Are you ill? Oh you are, aren't you? Your icky-poo and you need someone to look after you. Right I'll get right on the soup making side of things and baking bread to go with soup. Oh! And you'll need blankets if you have a cold or soothers if you have a sore throat and you would need paracatamol for both. An"

"Bella! You're not breathing!" Jake exclaimed.

I took in deep breaths. "I'm sorry for ranting."

"No it's fine. Besides," he paused for dramatic effect "I personally think it's sexy that you go all mother hen on me."

Wait. Hold up. Sexy? Jacob black just said the word sexy? And used it on describing me? I'm not sexy in any way, I'm plain and have nothing better to do than bake, read and get good grades at school. There is no way in hell that my caring nature is sexy. Nice and kind, yes, sexy, hell no. Jacob doesn't do innuendoes, he's awkward around girls, always has been always will be. This is a new Jacob.

"What have you done with Jake? My Jake doesn't do innuendos." I said, no stranger to deadly.

"I'm still here Bells, taller, but still me. Hey! You might like the newly grown to six foot Jacob"

He got taller? Don't guys stop growing at sixteen? He's nearing seventeen now. Oh gawd, I missed my birthday. I'm now nineteen. Happy belated birthday to me.

"You do realize i'm coming round now, right? Cause your at home now and Billy isn't" I said.

"Why? What's the occasion? Would I need to prepare dinner for you or should I lay down some comfy blankets?"

"Stop with the innuendos! It's slightly freaky!" I almost yelled down the phone as I was getting my shoes on and grabbing my truck keys out of the dish.

"Well, I am getting in my truck now, so you better have at least some shorts on before I enter the Rez!" I threatened.

"Sure, sure." Jake sussed "I'll have _boxer_ shorts on" I could hear his mischievous smile in his voice.

Really? Was that necessary? My truck gave a protest as I sped down to La Push; of course my phone was on loud speaker. Charlie was going to kill me; I took the landline phone out of the house. Good thing its wireless.

"I am two minutes away, you better be decent. And while you at it, put the kettle on." I was going to need something like a hot chocolate distress.

"Fine, but hurry, okay? Billy would be back in an hour or two and I don't want to waste a second." Jake hung up.

The way to the Rez wasn't exactly a smooth road, tyre tracks and pot-holes were quite common along the road. I hardly stopped getting bolstered around the truck seat. Trees could also be a problem as the weather recently has not been kind; trees have fallen due to the horrid winds. The turn off for Jakes red house was covered in branches and low hanging trees. It was like a curtain, shrouding the homely abode. Seriously must write this down at some point, this is quite poetic stuff.

I pulled up to jakes driveway and jumped none to gracefully out of my truck. Well, accident prone me couldn't go twenty minutes without slipping up on damp leaves. A warm arm caught me before I fell, scratch warm, scorching hot! Jeez, Jake has a temperature and by medical standards he should be dead. And he wasn't kidding about growing a lot. He was at least six feet, maybe near six two. And he had muscles. Jake was always well built but these where huge; he has been working out a hell of a lot since a few months ago. The most shocking change was his long silky hair had been cut short.

"Who are you?" I demanded. "Where is Jacob?"

"Oh, so no 'thanks from saving me from the dangerous mud Jake', nor 'it's good to see you', but where I am? Come on Bells, you know it's me." He hoisted me up onto my feet and brushed my clothes down. His hands lingered on mine. "You've cut your hand. Best get that cleaned and a bandage put on it."

He all but dragged me to his garage. "Why did you cut your hair, Jake?" I asked.

He shrugged. "It was getting in the way of building cars, didn't want oil or grime getting in it."

"Since when did you have giant biceps?"

"Since I grew older, have you seen the guys on the Rez? All of 'em are naturally huge in all proportions." He wriggled his eyebrows.

"Stop it." I told him. "I only came round so that I could finally see you alive and well after having niltch from you contact wise. I could easily go if you're going to act like a perverted puppy who shags anything that moves." I walked backwards slightly to prove my point. "Easy as this, so are you going to behave?"

Jacob looked down at the floor; clearly his pride had been hurt by my saying this. Well, he had it coming sooner or later. Someone was going to lose the rag with him, he should actually be glad it's me stealing the rag rather than his dad.

"Well, do you want to come in Bella?" a voice said from the porch, partially snarling. "Or would you rather go back to those leeches you call family?"


	3. Chapter 3

I looked to the door. Paul was there. But it wasn't he who said the insult.

It was Seth.

The sweet little, fifteen years old who I used to babysit for, the boy who liked eating bananas with strawberries and honey even though all his friends doubted his sanity. Who was now muscled and as tall as me. Are all the Rez kids having a growth spurt? I couldn't believe it.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I stammered.

"Yes you do, you parasite hugger. The Cullens. The foul obscenities of nature." Seth snarled. Paul pinioned his arms behind his back, in an attempt to restrain Seth. It wasn't working.

"She couldn't have known about that, Bella was just prey to them. A plaything, that's all !" Jacob defended me. But he was wrong to do so. I knew they were vampires and I had made the mistake to stay with them as all they did was hurt me.

"Jake, stop, its fine. Let Seth vent out his anger." I mumbled.

"But he's wrong! You didn't know about the Cullens being Vampires, did you?"

The lack of shock on my face told him the answer. Any normal human would have reacted in some way to the existence of vampires.

"You knew?" Jake asked. I nodded.

"They broke the treaty! We can get them!" Seth yelled.

"Wait! They didn't tell me, I guessed!" I said.

Seth scowled, and yanked his arms out of Pauls' grasp. "I was so looking forward to killing a leach." He ran off into the nearby woods.

"Best go after him," Jake commanded. "Can't let the hunters think its open season early."

Paul nodded and ran after Seth, leaving me with confusion on my face. What does Jake mean by open season? Do they hunt Native Americans now? I must have missed the memo.

"How do you know about the treaty Bells?" Jake stared me down

"They.. They told me about not going on the La Push land. They told me that if the secret of their existence was known to a human an agreement would have been broken. Honest to all that all them told me. I swear Jake." I stumbled over my words.

His look was calculating. "We'll have to tell you everything, won't we?"

His hand, his oven hot hand grabbed mine. He seriously had a rising temperature. A definite fever coming on. "Jacob something is wrong, you're burning up! You must have a fever, you really should get to a hospital!"

"Honestly Bella, I'm perfectly fine. The medics would be having a field day if they test my blood." He chuckled.

He guided me into his house. The pine smell hit me. It was like coming home after years away. The aroma engorged me, so much so that I almost walked right into Jacob who had stopped to shut the red door behind him. His large frame then half pushed me towards the brown cloth sofa behind the handmade coffee table. I remember Jacob carving the woodland scenery into the panels. It took him days of solid work to complete just one side. Of course I was there watching him. I was amazed at how his large hands hand managed to achieve the miniscule details of the trees and flowers. So delicate with the carving tools, as careful as one mistake could have ruined the piece and cause him to start all over again.

Jacob sat me down on the sofa. A hot chocolate had appeared in front of me. With 3 marshmallows, all different colours. Just how I had it when I was little and Jacobs' mum used to make them whenever the day turned horrid. Which was often, so a lot of hot chocolate was consumed.

I picked up the mug and sipped gingerly.

"you remember when we were down the beach, with your friends from school?" I nodded. " You remember the conversation we had about the Cullen Family and my tribe?"

"Yes, you told me that they were vampires. And your family was descended from wolves." I murmured.

"I thought that they were legend, but actually they are true." Jacob swallowed "we are shape shifters that take the form of wolves. We could probably turn into other animals but we haven't tried that yet."

I laughed. "Yeah, right Jake. Oh how the world bites people back on the backside! Shape shifters don't exist! I barely believed the vampire theory from my guessing, but seriously! There cannot be this much supernatural happenings in one place! It's not fair to the rest of the world."

I looked at Jacob. His face wasn't wavering ."You're serious?" Jake nodded. "Oh."

I quickly slurped the hot chocolate, giving myself a singed tongue. I placed the mug down.

"Bella, I'm sorry that I deserted you for months. It just wasn't safe for you to be around a newly formed wolf. I had no control over my temper and I lashed out at anyone." Jake held my hand tightly. "I didn't want to hurt you, and there was a high possibility of that happening if you were near me. Any emotion could have set me off into wolf form. I'm so sorry."

There was so much sorrow in his eyes. It physically pained him knowing that I had felt deserted and alone for months. I wrapped my arms around Jacob and hugged him tightly. I felt his arms relax in surprise then return the hug with vigour. 

"Jacob, through no fault of your own you had to avoid me, just to protect plain old Bella Swan. It's fine." I gave him a squeeze and let him go. I leant back to recline on the sofa only to find that Jake hadn't let me go. More than that, he was pulling me onto his lap and craddling me like a baby. Only this baby was being poked at by something stiff originating in Jacobs pants.

"Jake." I laughed awkwardly. "You may want to go to the bathroom and uh, sort yourself out." Jake wasn't moving. "As in now!" I continued to atte4mpt to get out of Jacobs vice grip. Only doing this encouraged a different reaction. Jacob growled. Like a wolf. As I created friction between me and himself. Interesting. I've always known that Jake like liked me, but I just didn't realize how much until now. I turn him on just by being within a two feet radius. This could be fun.

But it was a disturbing feeling. I still have feelings for Edward, and yet I loved this sensation. The balanced presence that Jacob always carried around with him, how he lights up my day when he smiles and jokes around. This feeling was warm, unlike Edwards's crystal clear and precious love. But he ripped that away when he left, leaving a gaping hole inside me. Jacob was there to pull me back together, to pick up the pieces. To make me whole. The emptiness that I felt in the last few months was gone, it disappeared when I saw Jake again. He completed me.


	4. Chapter 4

(pardon the spelling mistakes, lack of capital letters and some grammatical errors)

"So werewolf, huh." I said

"Yep." Jake awnsered.

Wow. Forks had some serious supernatural interference going for it. The rest of the world is at a disadvantage y'know. Have so many buff men in one small area, i feel sorry for all the girls out there.

"so do you change at full moon?" I asked. Jacob laughed like a dentist on laughing gas.

"no, bella!" laugh laugh. "we are shape shifters, we don't have to wait for a full moon to transform into or wolf counter parts, we can do it anytime."

"oh". I felt so stupid. "so what does your wolf look like?"

"i can't show you without the elders permission. I've already told you far to much."

"so lets not talk about it." I racked my brain for a different subjet. "your car! How it that going?"

"it's going really well, the engine has just a few more parts that ..." i tuned out after that, i knew nothing of cars but i nodded when it was required, i also asked him questions about how that could help this, why would he change this n' that, what was this particular part and what does it do.

Time ticked by like a bat out of hell. It just flew by. Before i knew it i heard a car come up the drive and in entered my dad and billy with a handful of fish they caught from the lake a few miles out of town.

"bella!" my dad said "i didn't expect you to be here! I thought that you and Jacob had an argument and were holding out a silence!"

"no, dad," i explained. "there was just a little bit of miscommunication on both parties, but everythings fine now." To prove my point, i hugged Jacob with one arm and squeezed him tight. I felt Jacobs tempreture rise a few degrees. Hehe, the future coming weeks were going to be fun.

"well, this occasion must be celebrated!" Billy said. "why don't we call Sue " he shot a look to Charlie "and invite her, seth and the others for a BBQ? We have more than enough fish to go around, and they all can bring something."

He wheeled over to the telephone and made many phone calls while Jacob, my dad and i prepared the fish and plentiful salad items. After half an hour people started to arrive with plate fulls of food. I received many hugs and 'how've you been's from people i haven't seen for months or even years. The warmest was from a girl called Emily. I used to go around to her house all the time when i wanted to have girl time. There was only three years difference between herself and i. She called me her little sister that she never had. Her mother left when she was small and her father killed himself from grief, so she lives with her Grandma. She had just finished university with a degree in arts and crafts. She now works her own business of handmade things (clocks, jewelry, knits, quilts you name it she can make it.) her boyfriend, Sam, is 'amazing' at metal work and so fashions things like bed frames which are 'simply brilliant'.

"You've done so well for yourself Emily! I'm so sorry i lost contact with you for a few years, i was going through rough times with a controlling boyfriend issues."

"we must have a girls night!" she suggested "how about next Friday? I'm off for the holidays then, we cna catch up big time!"

"deffinately! i'll drive round at about three, straight after my shift at Newtons." I said excitedly.

"that will be brilliant!" she had a slight girl squeak then ran off to tell Sam.

"she missed you a lot when you stopped coming down for summer." I jumped. Sue Clearwater was behind me.

"oh! Sue! How have you been?" i asked

"not too bad, you do know that i'm dating you father?"

I was taken back slightly. "no i didn't know, when did this start?"

"a few months back, when you were in Arizona visiting your mum." Wow nearly a whole year.

"is he happy?" i asked abruptly.

Sue looked at me with questioning eyes ."yes. i believe he is."

She turned away to get some freshly caught fish.

I mingled after my encounter with Sue. A few hours later the party broke up and i was left with Jacob, my dad and Billy to clear up the remaining plates.

"so, i thought that went well." Billy said to break the silence that was going on between the washing of the dishes crew.

"yes, i caught up with a few people and have made plans to meet up with them during the next fortnight." I said.

"quil and i managed to lift the car onto the brick support so i can get on with fixing the underneath tomorrow."

"quill?" i was confused. Last time i looked Quill was not so strong in the muscle department.

"yep, he made a point of bagsying himself as the rebound boy." He chuckeled.

"rebound boy?" i questioned. "really? Does he really think that i am that naive?"

"well, he doesn't really know you, so you can't assume that he knows you like i do."

"and you _really_ know me, do you?" i asked. I hate it when people assume things about me.

"As well as i know my sister." Jake continued. Oh so he thought of me as his sister? So his reaction earlier was just instinct then?

"well, i must be going. Stuff to do, plans to be made with people who i need to see. So yeah." I finished the dish that i was holding and stormed out.

If he thinks that he can just act the way he did and i would just be placid about it, boy, has that dog got another thing coming.

I slammed the door of my car and started the engine, tears welled in my eyes. How could he not think about what he said before he says it? That is such a guy thing to do.

"bella! Wait! At least stay for the game! The street light don't come on around here until nine, you may run into something!" jake yelled as he ran over to my door.

"no, you have sisters for that jake!" i pulled my seatbelt over and clicked it in. "i'm not your sister!" i said and reversed out of his driveway.

This was so bad. I cannot believe that Jacob came up with that excuse for me staying at his house for longer. Tears breached my cheeks and instictivley moved my hand to wipe them. No. I will not cry. I am not going to be this emotional. I gripped the wheel with vigour and drove down the rickety roads of the Rez.

He was right about the roads being dark. I could barely see past the head light, and they were not the best in the world. The truck lurched over to the left and i bashed my head on the window. That was going to leave a bruise. The road was getting worse, the bashing of the head was becoming more frequent, i was getting dizzy and my head was starting to hurt quite badly. My eyes were heavy and i was so tempted to close them and go to sleep. But that notion was silly, i was driving for crying out loud, i can't fall asleep at the wheel. My dad would.. would... clock ...me... for...driv..ing..ir..espo..sib...ly...


	5. Chapter 5

(Just letting you know I'm re-inventing a character to suit the needs of this fan-fic, Stephanie Meyer owns the idea of charrie but I change it to an own version.) (pardon the dreadful spelling)

Chapter 5

Hunting was a thrill, a necessity for survival but an enjoyment for an old man like Demitri. This area was well known for its deer, they tasted fresher than others in the peninsula. Demitri wasn't fussy about sticking to one diet, they way he saw it, blood was blood, and if you were hungry the nearest source would do. Unlike the others in the Voltori, he drank both human and animal blood and the result gave him a passable orange tinted brown eye colour, so didn't have to wear those ghastly contact lenses when he goes out and about. This was just a little bonus to having a varied diet. Aro liked the idea but found animal blood to bitter to drink on a regular basis. Caius and Marcus didn't approve of it at all and often sent Dimitri doing the dirty work while they sat and drank the wine of humans.

Demitri didn't mind doing this dirty work; it gave him the chance to taste new things, trying the local delicacies and all. Forks was a new place for him, the woods smelt odd though, it was more dog than leaves in his opinion. This town needed to sort out its wolf problem. Demitri sensed a deer not a hundred yards away from him. Time for dinner. He thought as he sprinted after the deer. He ran after it for a few minutes enjoying the chase. It ran into a road, followed by a screeching of tires and thudding. The scent of blood immediately hit the air. Human blood that smelt like strawberries and cream, Demities' favourite food as a human. The taste of them still remained in his memory. Without stopping to think about the deer, Demitri ran to the fresh blood, thanking his stars that he ran into this divine smelling human.

Demitri got to the road and took the scene in. A Chevy truck was almost bending itself around an oak tree, glass was everywhere and the deer lay dead on the bumpy road. The human was nowhere to be seen. She, it was definitely a she, Demitri thought, was still here. Probably begging for death as an ambulance cannot possibly make it out to here. The road was too narrow and the canopy above stooped too low. Demitri would be doing her a favour by killing here and now, preventing the long pain of nobody coming to save her.

Demitri walked slowly, savouring the scent of this girl. When he got to the truck, he yanked the rusty door of its hinges and took the girl in. A split second look and he was gone. This girl had chocolate brown hair, with delicate highlights that naturally occurred from the sun, her frame was so dainty as if it was breakable by just placing a finger on her, but she had a strong heartbeat as a warrior would. Her hands, although now at a peculiar angle, were soft to the touch and warm. Demitri could tell that she drew as lead was covering her hand in miniscule proportions, the human eye could not see them. This girl also read a lot as there were paper cuts all over her fingertips. Here pink tinted cheeks were stained with tears, these were most likely from a break up as this girl was barley even twenty and she had already blossomed into an adult. The creases in her face told of age and discomfort beyond her years.

The girl stirred in her unconscious thought. Demitri snapped out of his mind. There was blood everywhere, covering the seats and windows. Demitri dipped his finger in a small pool on the brown seat, and put it in his mouth. He closed his eyes at the taste of strawberries. Just as he remembered them. He opened his eyes to see the girl waking up. What should he do/ if he drank her then he would never know her name and her life. But if he didn't then she would know the existence of vampires and she would be killed. He couldn't let the latter happen. He just couldn't bear the latter.

Against his nature he carefully scooped up the fragile child in his arms and gently lifted her out the car. Her injuries were too great to go to a hospital. She would die within the next five minutes. The only option was to give her some of his blood. Demitri had gain the ability to have blood flowing in his veins. Vampires' hearts stopped when they Changed, but for some reason, Demitri didn't. His heart just carried on beating even though he is dead. His blood still contained the healing abilities of vampires, but the consequences of this girl to have a few pints could be disastrous. She could change against her will, leaving a huge jug full of revenge towards Demitri. But if he gave her little mouthfuls at a time, she may get her strength back and her system would heal itself. That could work.

Demitri bit his arm, ignoring the sting of venom, and pried open the girls' mouth. His blood trickled into her system as water would. Already her body was receiving the blood and changing accordingly to use it. Her hand clicked and snapped back into place. Her spine fussed together and her legs popped themselves back into their sockets. It was working. After two minutes of trickling blood from his arm, Demitri was having some dizzy spells. Enough, he thought, as he closed up his own wounds.

"Miss," he said his British accent dripping through. "miss, can you hear me?"

"Mhm" mumbled the angel. "What happened?" she said drowsily, as if waking up from a heavy sleep.

"Miss," Demetri said manners at all costs. "you seem to have had a crash and ran your truck into a deer then a tree is your head feeling any aches or sharp pains?"

She raised her arm slowly to her head. "Just a small headache. Nothing that drugs can't cure." She laughed slightly but winced as a hand shot to her chest. "My ribs, on the other hand, may be bruised a bit."

"If you put ice where the bruises occur the swelling would go down and the aches will dim after a week and a few days." Dimitri said and checked the rest of her bones. "Permission to feel joints of foot, arms and knees?"

She looked at him with analysing eyes. "Permission granted." Dimitri went to check her feet. "Are you trained as a doctor then?"

"More like an accident and emergency specialist." That was more or less true. When the vamps got injured or maimed they found Dimitri to fix 'em up. He was the only 'doctor' that did things as painlessly as possible, others just loved to watch the needy party struggle. "Sort of a war medic." That was definitely true. He was one in his human years all those centuries ago, braving his life to save others, that's what the sheet of paper said when they sent the telegram to his wife and child.

"Nothing is broken, but you will have a few pains in your body due to bruising." Demetri stood up from the leave covered floor. "Are you alright to stand?" he extended his hand out to the girl. She nodded.

None too gracefully she grabbed Demetri's hand and pulled herself up. While doing so she looked him up and down. This man was tall, but not giant like Jacob, he had a peculiar set of brown with orange tinted eyes. His dark hair flopped over his face slightly as if he just had come from a run. He had a strong jaw and cheek bones that could be seen clearly but don't have over the top of defined. He wore a long black trench like coat, paired with loose fitting jeans and a dark grey shirt. It was Bella's' view of a super spy. She kind of liked that line of work.

She looked around the crash scene. "Oh!" She gasped. "Did I do this?"

"I believe you did, I found you barely conscious in your truck." He replied. "Do you have a place to go to?" he regretted the bad wording of his sentence, it sounded he was trying to get her to his apartment. "A contact to call?" she shook her head.

"No, they wouldn't want to hear from me after what I said to them." Her mind flashed back to the unkind words that she had said to Jacob.

Demetri didn't know what to do; he had never been in this situation before. "Well, you should stay round my apartment. Until you feel better, with you ankle and everything." Jeez Louise, he sounded lame.

"Thank you...?" she looked at me.

"Demetri." He supplied.

"Demetri." She repeated. She liked the way it sounded coming of her tongue. "I might as well take you up on that offer. Where abouts do you live?"

I had to think about that one. Where did I live? I only just got into the city and I didn't meet up with that Viola girl to tell me where I would be staying.

_Viola, _I sent towards her (she can receive and send messages through her brain, kind of like a postal service for vampires and 'in the know' humans) _where am I staying? Demetri. _

It didn't take but a mere second for her to reply. _ Just on the outskirts of Port Angelis._ There was a pause._ I see you have a take away shan't disturb you then._ Before Demetri could object to the notion, Viola severed the connection.

"I live just on the outskirts of Port Angelis really not that far from here actually, fifteen minute walk at most." He thanked the gods for Viola sending a map to his mind.

"I'm Bella Swan." She held out her hand. This worried Demetri. Wasn't Bella Swan with the Cullen Clan? That means she knew about his world. Yet she wasn't a vampire.

"Swan? I know of a Cullen who's... pet was called by that name." Demetri absently said.

Bella looked at Demetri more closely. She walked into the light of the pathway. Demetri followed until he was just a few steps behind her. Bella swiftly turned around and bumped into him, leaving Demetri in the light of the sun.

Bella's' eyes didn't leave Demetrio's' face. His skin sparkled dully in the bright light. Not as bright as _his_ yet not as shiny as a freshly washed car. Perhaps, Bella thought, he resembles an unwashed car. Still has a dim shine to it.

"You're a vampire." She said it like a statement, a fact that she already knew. she looked closer at the breast pocket of Demetri's coat. Her eyes glazed over at a memory. "You're a part of the Voltori."

She backed away slightly, in fear that was unseen in front of you, but in her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"I was doing an errand." Demetri said simply. Truth be told, he was going to collect an important package from a J Jenks, who the heck knew what it was.

"So you're not here to see if I'm still human?" Bella accused.

"should I be? The last time I had heard, you and the Cullen family were not on the best of terms. We have considered that all decisions of you turning where cancelled and we just forgot about you." He said, defending his position.

"hm." She said. "Well, how far really is your place, in human terms."

Demetri liked Bella's' humour. "an hour's walk."

Bella groaned inwardly. "Don't you worry about walking, I shall just carry you." He gracefully walked over to where Bella stood. "with your permission?" she nodded. And in less than a blink, Demetri scooped Bella up and ran towards his apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Why,_ why_ did I let her drive off? I could've stopped her by force if necessary, but no. I held my ideals of no touching girls unless they gave you permission. Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

I ran after the tyre smoke as fast as I could, but it wasn't faster than her truck. "DAMN!" I yelled to the ghost. I slided into the nearest bush and got rid of my clothes. While in mid run I transformed into my wolf. He was a lot faster and had a better running distance.

_Jake!_ Embry said._ What up, dog?_

_Bella has run for it, she drove off for no reason!_ I thought back, recalling the previous few minutes.

_There was definitely a reason alright; you told her you think of her as a sister!_

_Is that bad?_

_Definitely! She likes you a hell of a lot and you basically just threw it back in her face by insulting her._

I mentally face palmed. _Why am I so ignorant when it comes to girls?_

_Who the heck knows?_

_Have you caught her scent yet?_ I thought.

_No, _Seth answered._ Dude, I'm sorry for snapping back there._

_SETH! _Leah joined in._ GET YOUR FURRY BACKSIDE HOME! MOM IS WORRIED LIKE HECK!_

_Ow, Leah. What a way to great people._ Quil, seems like everyone is joining me in the search for Bella.

_Hell no Jake, _Leah demanded. _I am not looking for some leach lover, and neither should you. She isn't worthy of you Jake, the amount of times she has crushed you can't be counted on your fingers and toes combined. Leave her._

I growled. I wasn't going to leave her. Not again. Not ever.

I sprinted towards the clearing.

_**Jake, you have to let her go. You'll put the pack in danger if you continue.**_

The alpha voice made me buckle under, falling to the forest floor. I _really_ hate that when he does it. I am completely powerless against him. It makes me feel weak, extremely terrible feeling grumbles in the pit of my stomach making me want to puke if I resist. I didn't resist often.

_Sam, I just can't. I love her. She may be hurt because of me and my bipolar attitude; I cannot let anything happen to her!_ I thought with anger.

_**I order you to back down Jacob, now. **_He growled. I tried to get up, pushing through the order. _**NOW!**_ I buckle under again. _**Go home.**_

I turned my tail without thinking and ran back to my house.

* * *

><p>"Come in."<p>

Aro sat in his ancient throne, his knees with slight air bubbles as he heard them crack and he was thirsty.

Now wasn't the time of day nor place to discuss such trivial matters as these unimportant cases. He was bored, just as Caius was. Marcus however was intrigued by these daily musings that he insisted upon. It kept his mind busy and it left long lines of conversations for later with various members of the Guard.

This case was not the most interesting of ones. When the doors opened, Marcus knew that this would be a waste of brain power. A teenage vampire wanted permission to change his human girlfriend. His reasons for coming to ask for permission is that he has no other person that he looks up to and he thought that it was respectful. This boy had no idea, wasting their time as such is creating dishonour upon himself and his descendants. If he had any descendants.

"Marcus," Caius said in a less than amused tone. "May we hurry this along? There are other things that are expected of us. It is a waste of our time and efforts."

Aro turned his head slightly to Marcus. "I'm afraid that I would have to agree with Caius. This boy is dense enough to bother us with such trivialities, surely he could see the sense in leaving," he glanced at the bronze haired boy. "These minor problems to his own mind to solve."

The bronze haired boy in question was all but quaking in his boots. He didn't like these vampires at all as he saw what was going on in the deep recesses of their minds. The ideas that some of the guard had towards his diet were verging on the disturbing, but the thoughts that weren't guarded as well as they should have been were interesting to say the least. They were thoughts of murder on their minds, killing other vampires. As far as the boy could tell, none of the future victims had done anything illegally but they were an apparent threat to the Voltorri through the means of gifts or numbers in a coven. What worried him was that his own name had been used a few times along with his adopted sister and brothers. Not that they would know this at all, for he wasn't on speaking terms with the rest of his family. He betrayed them by leaving and breaking their un-beating hearts.

"Please, Edward, would you reconsider our offer of joining us, you now have no connections with the disgraces that you once called family." Aro suddenly said.

The boy was frozen. How did Aro see through the spell that the witch had placed on him? He couldn't have seen through it, the witch confirmed it.

"We have known that you were coming for quite some time, that witch of yours does tend to babble when she's intoxicated." Aro continued. "we can give you three months to mull this offer over, see the parts of the world that you want to see, do the things you want to do and all the paperwork that you left behind in various outposts. Go now, enjoy this while it lasts, for when you join us you will hardly ever get to leave." He waved his hand in dismissal.

Edward Cullen turned and ran.

...

* * *

><p>Demetri placed Bella down gently on the front doorstep of his apartment. He forgot how Viola downsized everything. By apartment she meant four story houses with an acre and a half of garden that backed onto the forest. He sighed inwardly.<p>

"I thought you said apartment? Yes, those were you exact words." Bella said.

Ah, the humour of a nineteen year old. Quite dry in some places, but absolutely hilarious at rare moments.

"That's what I was told." He replied. He wandered over to the door and turned the handle. "Locked, damit."

Bella looked around the porch, walking over to a nearby plant pot.

"What are you doing?" Demetri asked.

"Looking for Wonderland." She said sarcastically. "There has to be a spare key around here somewhere. Ha!" she stood up and handed Demetri the key.

"I would have knocked the door down, y'know, but it's such a nice door it would be a shame to." Demetri said.

"Of course, of course, you keep telling yourself that."

They went in the house and stopped in the entry way. Their eyes took in the beautiful architecture of the place; the paintings, the wall hangings, the stairs were crafted by hand as the workmanship to each decorative panel was unique but the same. The ceiling that went up to the roof of the place had a mural of a forest scene full of wildlife and tranquillity.

All Bella wanted to say wouldn't even describe the house in a nutshell. It was just too darn beautiful.

"Are you hungry, Bella?" Demetri asked.

Her stomach growled. "Hell yes. Where is the kitchen?"

"I don't know. Through that door, maybe?" he suggested, placing his trench coat of a stand just past the door.

...

* * *

><p>I walked towards the door Demetri gestured to. The slight creaking of the floor boards were a strange comfort to me as I wandered across. Sure enough, the door did lead to the kitchen and in this kitchen I found a plate of assorted pastries filled with fruits. I made a bee-line for the apple turnover. It smelled heavenly. It tasted great too.<p>

"Why do you have pastries when you weren't going to eat them?" I asked, none to ladylike, with my mouth full.

Demetri joined me at the kitchen island. "I just love the smell of them. Always have ever since I was two years old. Blame my mother, she was always baking them." He smiled at the memory. "Mango juice?" he passed me a large glass full of sweet smelling orange liquid. I gladly took it.

"And how long ago was that?" I subtly said.

"Around the year 986, give or take a few years. Calendars weren't our thing back then."He replied.

I chocked on my juice. "Your 1030 years old?" I couldn't believe it.

"You better believe it; my childhood consisted of avoiding bug bites and not getting run over by a maniac in a chariot."

* * *

><p>AN; if you read this please review, it will give me an incentive to type quicker. Also let me know if you want something to happen with other book characters as I can easily write one shots or full on fan fiction.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I was talking to a person who is at least two thousand years older than me.

"You must have loads of stories about the history of the world." What a lame thing to say. I bet he gets asked that every time he brings a girl back with him. Then they probably die from knowing too much and it is made to look like an accident.

"You are the first person to ask about the events that I witnessed." He said. "Everyone else asks about me personally, taking no interest in the history side."

"Well," I shrugged, "I am a history honours student at school."

"Really? What are your favourite topics?"

"I really love the English history sector. Extremely interesting in the first few centuries before AD and after, what with a new religion setting in and all."

"I completely agree, from the fourth century onwards it was just a lot of farming and some wars which I care not to relive."

"You were in Britain during those times? That is so cool! Did you meet any Celts?"

"I practically lived as one of them for a better part of seventy years. There were barely any vampires in Britain, so my being there started the stories with my fellow cohorts Amun and Kebi. Such hospitality that the Celts gave us, but only to get on our better side so we could share our knowledge."

Four pastries and two cups of juice later, we were still talking about his time in Britain. He shared his stories and I compared them to my knowledge from textbooks. The gaps that the text book had, Demetri filled, with immense detail on the customs and ceremonies. I found that he was born in Greece originally, and Amun had changed him when he was around twenty, that the Volturi caught up with his abilities around the twelfth century, he ran from them at first but they found him in the fourteenth century.

I didn't think of Jacob or my other problems until later that evening when Demetri showed me my vintage styled room and left to do 'business'. This time to myself gave me room to think.

Did I really want to go back home? The people waiting for me would be pissed off. My dad would definitely be grounding me. My friends wouldn't forgive me for deserting them, but, on the other hand, I don't have to go back there for a while, so no explaining until then. I could have a few months to prepare my speeches.

Then there was the issue of school. How would I carry on my studies? I personally couldn't care less for maths or science, but I have to keep up with history and English if I want to be a historian in museums. I ran my hands through my hair. This was going to get complicated.

If I went back, Jacob would be there. He was so young, hardly knowing anything of the world. I felt like a cougar when I flirted with him. And we have been best friend since we were tiny toddlers, it would have ended in tears anyway, me not wanting to ruin our friendship, he a hormonal teenage boy. It was simply a dud, a no go area.

I could just hitch in with people and just travel around until I can think of something more permanent. I do have contacts in a few states that would let me stay with them for a while. Not too long mind, wouldn't want any questions coming around. Maybe I could pay mom and Phil a prolonged visit. They would love me to stay with them. Probably.

Yeah. That's what I shall do. I will hang with Demetri for a while. It would keep me occupied and Demetri Company. A win-win for all parties. Speaking of which, what is he up to?

* * *

><p>I stopped outside the address that I have been given. It didn't look like a high up layers firm. But then, I wasn't going to see a lawyer. J Jenks was a shady man who dealt with the black market, selling fake ID and such the like. To partake in my activities here, I would need a passport and a drivers licence.<p>

I knocked on the supposedly stable door; it cracked on my first try.

"Who are you and what do you want?" a man's voice demanded.

I looked to my side. There stood an unshaven man in ragged clothing; a scarf was carelessly thrown around his neck and frayed fingerless gloves covered his remarkably clean hands.

"I'm here to see Jenks." I replied, showing no emotion. This I have grown accustomed to, travelling around does provide a topic of discussion between vampires, so no revealance of my intention was a key thing.

"Halloway, is it?" I nodded. "go down three locks, turn left follow till you get to the junction, third right, second left building opposite you."

I walked in the directions I was given. The streets are bare, only two or three are walking about wearing revealing items. It disgusts me to see them with no respect for themselves.

The building I was looking for was much more official than the previous, it had a sign reading 'Livingston Apartments' and was relatively clean. Presumably I was to meet him in the hotel's restaurant for the documents.

I pushed through the double doors and found myself in a reception that had a solitary female clerk at the desk, presumably for late night arrivals. It was sparsely decorated with a pot plants, two waiting sofas and a coffee machine.

The girl was clearly falling asleep in the job, her head rested on her palm and her head was a slant. I walked up to the desk and rang the bell.

"Huh? "The girl woke. "Oh, sorry, how may I help you?" she said with a yawn.

"I'm looking for a J Jenks, he is expecting me." I said.

"He is in the Bar area, do you require anything else, sir?" she leant forward slightly showing her plunging neck line of a blouse.

"No, thank you," I replied in my gayest voice (they are often put off by this high pitched tone.) "My boyfriend is in the next room." I trotted off in my stride.

When I was out of sight, I returned to my normal stance of walk. Women were so predictable; they always threw themselves at me. It was highly inappropriate, most of them were married for crying out loud, they had _children_ and yet they did the sort of things I have known prostitutes do. It was appalling.

The bar area was quiet, with only a few people drinking foul smelling liuqers. I have never liked the smell of the stuff. It made humans lose their inhibitions, making them do things they wouldn't normally do. Losing that control over oneself if a horrid feeling. One could compare it to Alec's ability.

A man at the bar turned in his seat slightly. This must be J Jenks. I wandered over to the stool next to him. A package was pushed into my direction.

"It has all of the documents that you requested, plus the extra one that you wanted of the girl."

He got up, thrust a twenty at the bar tender and left the room.

"Very much obliged." I said lowly, and then I too left the hotel.

Hopefully Bella wouldn't mind that I had arranged a fake passport for her own use, in case we were to leave the country. It was really up to her what we did, after I have done the business that I was sent to do by Aro. I had to collect some painting that a friend of his has completed; he did appreciate the arts of the times after all. I could take my time with it though, for the ticks of the clock take no heed to Aro and he himself suggested that I see the world for a while. It's not often that I get a reprieve from Volturi duties, so a holiday was 'well needed' said Aro.

I quite liked the sound of the monument tours that America had to offer. Area 51 was also a stop on the way home. I quite fancied the idea of exploring the fabled army base that resided there. Bella may want to go to the big cities, such as New York, and shop or something. The museums may be an option.

While I rambled to myself I had already reached my temporary residence.

"Bella?" I called up the stairs, as I shook my coat off.

"Demetri?" Bella called back in the same tone.

"I'm back."

"I know." She retorted

"You weren't bored were you?"

"Nah, I had books, well you had books in the library and I kind of stolen them." She said coming down the stairs.

"There is a library here?"

"Yeah, and quite a large one too. It has every book I can think of and tons more." She said excitedly

"So I take it that you like to read?" I said

She gave me a 'duh' face. "No I hate them and I praise Hitler for burning thousands of them on Book Burning Day." Sarcasm laced every word.

I shook my head in mock disgust. "Oh the horror, the rebirth of the Nazi Party, what will the world come to!"

She laughed. It sounded like a choir of angels praising the universe.

"What?" she said. "Have I got something on my top?"

She had caught me staring at her. "Uh, no, I just spaced out for a second. Flashback of a memory." I lied smoothly.

"Hm, well, how did 'business' go?" she placed inverted commas around it.

"Went quite well." I waved the package. "I now have a passport and drivers licence."

I took them out the brown envelope and looked at the information. "My name it Dennis Halloway, I am twenty four, born in Kansas and I have a minor asthma problem."

"Well hello Dennis Halloway." She said "haven't I seen you someplace before?"

"If the someplace before was to get a photo done for your passport, then no I haven't seen you in my life."

"What?" she asked astounded. I waved a passport in the air.

"I hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of getting you a fake passport so you can travel without anywhere keeping a record of where you go. Ideally so they can't follow you and persuade you to go back home." And so you can hang out with me for longer, I added silently.

"That's really thoughtful of you. Thanks." She finished the stairs and took the red book out of my hand. The small contact sent electricity through my arm.

"Hi, I am Bethany Sandings, aged twenty and born in Denver, I have a minor case of hyper mobility." She read from the page.

"So where are we going first?" she asked.

"Completely up to you, I don't have to be anywhere for a few weeks to collect a painting, then after that I have at least three or four months." I replied

She thought about it. "I would like to go to North Carolina."

Bizarre, but okay. "And what would you want to do there?"

"See the very nice views they have to offer, the gardens that are there, the mountains, national forests. Basically the nice calm and collected places in which to draw read and have a picnic in."

"Sounds brilliant." I said interested.

"You wouldn't be able to join me due to the sun." She stated

"Ah, but that's where you are wrong. I have a mixed diet you see, whatever is most convenient I eat, having this mix of blood keeps m eyes at a passable brown tinted with orange and a pale partially sparkly skin tone. I look like an unwashed car, still shiny but dulled." I said, removing all questions.

"That is a very useful thing to know. I don't see why all vampires can't have the diet that you have, it would be easier to get errands done."

"They don't like the taste that's left in their mouth after switching blood supply. I quite like it, but that just me." I said.

"So when do we get on the road?" Bella inquired.

"As soon as we get the supplies needed for the trip. So two days from now maybe?"

"yeah." Bella yawned. "I'm beat; I better turn in for the night." She turned to go up the stairs.

"Bella, do you want to call anybody to let them know you're okay?" I asked.

She stopped. "I'll call them eventually." She went up without another word.

I sighed, tomorrow would be an awkward day.

We would have to go shopping.

* * *

><p>AN: so reviews anyone? i have a grand total of three, which i apreciate highly, hence the extremely fast update! thank you all for reading! again any ideas for what they should do in their travels, let me know!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I walked in the woods beside my house. They were empty, as per usual, as not many care to venture here. It wasn't the prettiest part of the forest, but the sounds and smells were the best selling point. Birds were heard with clarity and the woodsy smell was constantly present. I paid no attention to the path; it was a boring waste of half an hour. Instead, I wandered through the trees, weaving in and out of the trunks.

Even though I am eighteen years old, I giggled like a child at the sheer enjoyment of the day.

"Bella!" I turned to the voice that I have been missing for months.

Edward was there, shimmering in the partial sunlight. His hair, torsled from his running, let of hues of red and brown. Oh how I missed those colours.

"Where are you Bella?" He yelled confused.

"I'm right here!" I yelled gladly. "Edward, I'm here!" I ran towards him, ignoring the foliage on the ground.

I wrapped my arms around him, but nothing was there. I was just hugging myself. "Edward?" I murmured.

No answer.

"Bella?" another familiar voice said. I turned again.

"Jacob!" I grinned and ran the few metres that separated us. I felt his warm embrace.

"Bella, I'm sorry." He released me from my grip.

"No! Don't leave me!" I yelled. But he did. He promised he wouldn't.

"You promised you wouldn't!" I yelled. I fell to my knees, tears escaping my eyes. "You promised!" I cried, louder. "You promised that you wouldn't, you gave you word that you would stay with me! Don't you remember that?" I sobbed.

My backside touched the ground, the pain of the fall didn't register with the pain that I felt inside, that pain tore me open and left blood. I curled up in a fuetal position, attempting to keep the blood from leaking out of my chest.

"Permission to check wounds, miss?"

My head shot up. Demetri was there, dressed in a pair of partially ripped jeans and a plaid shirt buttoned down showing a white t-shirt. His hand lowering to me, which glistened with water, I grabbed it gladly. He pulled me up and his eyes read mine.

"I won't ever leave you; I will always remain by your side forever. Even in death and the Afterlife."

...

I woke to the smell of toast cooking. Strange. Charlie didn't eat toast as a rule, to crunchy for 'that' time of the morning. My eyes opened to see a wall covered in posters from the years gone by. I shot out of a bed which didn't smell of mine. Where am I? The chest of draws with ancient looking draw handles wasn't mine, neither was the fluffy dressing gown that hung, slightly wavering in the breeze from the open window, on the back of the pale blue door.

I moved from the covers, which had art noveau flowers crafted all over, also not mine, and stretched out of bed. Walking across the wooden flooring, I reached the dressing gown and shrugged it on. It was soft and warm, so much so that I nearly fell back to sleep in it.

Opening the door, which squeaked to the touch, I found the stairs that led down to the gorgeous aroma of toast. I remember now. I was at Demetri's house, effectively being a runaway from home.

"Bella, what juice would you like?" the masculine voice asked. Demetri was in the kitchen preparing me breakfast.

"Um," I racked my brain. "White grape please?"

I heard a machine whirl and pieces of fruit, presumably grapes, being crushed.

I walked into the kitchen quickly, highly anticipating my breakfast. Hopefully, Demetri didn't go over the top with the food portions like Edward always did. He always had seven courses lined up just for breakfast. I often said that I need a few minutes, that he should go home and change while I ate. As soon as he was gone, I had leapt out of my seat grabbed as many plates that I could carry and headed out to my back garden, where a wolf was always there. They happily accepted the food, even though a vampire had made it. I was back in the house with the all the plates empty within two minutes. Five minutes after that, Edward was waiting patiently outside in his car. This was basically the only amount of privacy I ever had with Edward. Half an hour in the morning to eat the badly cooked food that he made me.

I sat down on the stool opposite him.

"What do you like on your toast?" he asked.

"Butter and a mixture of jams." He placed a plate in front of me with four slices of toast. He then sauntered to the fridge and found butter and three types of jam. I unintentionally checked him out while he bent over to reach the jam. I shook myself internally. _Stop it!_

He placed the jam and butter beside my plate with four knives and a glass of syrupy liquid.

"Your grape juice, and please use separate knives for the spreadables. I hate it when I find bits of butter in the blackcurrant jam."

"You eat jam?" I questioned, while taking the lid off the butter and sinking a knife into it.

"Yes, why would there be four slices of toast if I wasn't meant to have one?" he reached for a slice and a knife, smeared it with butter and blackcurrant and took a bite with a resounding crunch. He chewed and swallowed.

"See? I can eat human food. It's rather strange actually. Really, it's a last resort if there is no blood nearby. I wouldn't choose it if there was a glass of blood next to it"

I buttered and spread jam on my toast. I munched on it slowly, preventing an indigestion crisis from happening.

"so." I said, after finishing my last piece of toast. "What's the plan, Batman?"

"Well, Robin," he smiled. I swear my heart skipped a beat. "We have to pack."

"That means shopping doesn't it?"

"Yes. The absolute horror of walking around, not knowing what you're looking for. Being attacked on all sides by dodgy sales people; such a dangerous affair. But it must be done!" he thrust his finger into the air as a salute to the imaginary audience.

I mock clapped. "Brava!" I said in a strange accent. "I'm really not fussy. I just need a few things."

"Well, if you get dressed I'll see what we have got already, the make a partial list." He was gone in an instant. I only had time to get out of my chair and place the dishes in the sink and he was back.

"We do have suitcases, good sized ones at that. We also have toiletries, toothbrushes and such." Demetri placed a piece of paper onto the table. "But we need clothes and minor items. Do you know of a shopping centre nearby or would you like to go somewhere else?"

"There's one about forty minutes southwest of here." I said.

"Great. As soon as you're ready we can head off."

I turned and headed upstairs. "I'll be less than fifteen minutes." I called behind me. The sooner we get this done the better.

I ran up the stairs, doing two at a time. The bathroom was just to the right of my own room, so grabbing my clothes and getting a shower was quite easy. Usually in huge places like this the bathrooms were a good six hundred steps from your own. Midnight loo visits were a nightmare.

Within ten minutes I was showered and raring to go. I gathered my bag that survived the crash, containing my new phone and my purse then rushed down the stairs, immediately crashing onto Demetri.

"Whoa, I said you didn't need to rush!"

"Raring to go, and get out of the area sooner rather than later." I replied. Demetri's arms held mine tenderly.

I shrugged out in pretence of stretching. Stupid thing to do, but it seemed to work.

He shook his head, as if he dismissed a thought, and gestured his arm. "Your carriage awaits you."

We closed the door behind us, and stopped as we saw the car that was in the driveway. It was a Bug. A newish Bug, but a VW Bug nonetheless.

"Well, the Volturi knows how to travel in style." I said

We got into the car and began the awkwardly silent, forty minutes car journey.

...

The mall was very crowded, but it wasn't deserted either. First, we went into Boots. This was extremely awkward. Demetri gave Bella thirty dollars.

"I think we should go our separate ways in this shop, you get what you need and I get what I need. Meet me outside in twenty minutes, okay?"

Bella nodded and headed towards the back of the shop, veering to the right or left down isles with her basket. She ticked off a list in her head. Deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, paracetamol, shower gel, shampoo... the list continued a further few items. Reaching the feminine care, she hastily grabbed what she needed and headed towards the cash out. She paused by the make-up section. She grabbed a foundation powder, an eye shadow dark duo, a tube of lip gloss and small mascara. This is what she used when she could actually be bothered to put any make-up on in the first place. It rarely happened, so a little went a long time.

Demetri, on the other hand, was browsing at a leisurely pace. He didn't really need anything at all; he didn't sweat, his teeth always remained clean, and he hadn't seen a bristle on his face since he was a human. All he really wanted was a spray of some kind to prevent his clothes from smelling of his kills. Perhaps some mints to go along with that. He wandered over to the first aid boxes that were available for sale. There were many to choose from. One was so essential it was like a survival kit if you were going to camp in a forest for a day or two. Another had so much that it could have just come out of a hospital, ready for use on the next patient. He settled for a medium sized box, with bandages, plasters, anti bacterial wipes, temporary structures and other assorted items that a medic carried on them at all times. He meandered over to the showering items; he randomly picked on and chucked it into the basket. Twenty minutes was almost up. He headed to the till and paid for his items, blatantly ignoring the female staff that winked and got 'suggestive'. He really couldn't care less. Demetri just wanted to get out of here at the soonest possible opening.

Demetri was just leaving the shop when Bella bumped into him. "I see you like to keep on time with things." He said.

"If I have a time limit, I get things done quicker." She shrugged.

Next were the clothing stores. They went into Primark, only a few steps away from Boots. In here it was far too busy to be able to split up and do their own thing. The only time that they separated was when they went to get their own undergarments. They both paid for the undergarments and met at the front of the store.

"Aim for five t-shirts, three trousers, a jumper or two and a couple of long sleeves. We will be able to wash the clothes when we need to." Demetri said to Bella.

Bella went towards the rack of t-shirts. She grabbed a few plain coloured ones as well as a Mickey Mouse and a ' make cookies, not war' shirt. She spotted a checked shirt and grabbed that as well. She quickly moved to the jean section. She picked out a pair of blue denims, a pair of black denims, shorts and a pair of grey trousers, jeggings they were labelled. A few seconds later, a jumper had materialized along with two long sleeve shirts.

"done." She said.

"Seriously?" Bella nodded. "I thought girls were fussy about what they wear!"

"I'm just... not." She replied, shrugging as she did so.

"Well, I will have to be just as quick." Bella followed him as he grabbed t-shirts at random, with shirts a jumper or two and a couple pairs of jeans.

"done." He claimed, grabbing his final item of sun glasses.

Bella gave him a quizzical look. "For when my eyes can't pass as an orange brown." He smiled. And by god was it breath taking.

"Um, so, what next?" Bella stuttered.

"Book shop."

...

Guys comments would make me write quicker... it's a scientific fact...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"The bookshop?" I queried

"Yeah. You do like books?"

I nodded.

"Well, we need stuff to read while on boats and planes and such the like."

"Fair point" I replied. "The nearest Waterstones is on the second floor."

We walked towards the escalators, avoiding the sales people that barged at us from all sides. There really should be a law against those people. They invade personal space and so by our own rights, we can get them out of our personal space by shoving them. Which I did on two of the occasions.

We reached Waterstones and I stopped breathing. The shop was huge. There was a sign saying that there were four floors. All full of books. A huge grin crossed my face.

"Well, are you coming in or are you going to stay there like a statue?"

I walked inside.

I wandered to the P section; straight away I located the James Patterson shelf. Make that a book case. All of his 109 books were here; Sundays at Tiffany's, Women's Murder Club, Alex Cross and even the oh- so-rare When the Wind Blows.

"You like James Patterson?" shocked Dmitri said.

"More than like." I turned my head to him, reluctant to turn from the shelves. "He's my all time favourite author ever. I have read nearly all of his books bar the ones that came out in the past year."

"You've got to be kidding, he's my favourite too! Which series is better, Michael Bennet or Alex Cross?"

"They both have their own best bits, but I shall have to go with Alex Cross. More of a tense story line." I replied

"I agree with you there. How about the Maximum Ride vs. Daniel X war? Whose side are you on?"

I turned again. "We could go on forever comparing James Patterson, couldn't we?"

"Yup. But you haven't gotten me started on Shakespeare/ Christopher Marlowe theorem yet."

"Honestly, I can definitely see the similarities between their writings."

"Well, I sort of knew them personally and I can tell you know that they are one and the same."

"No!" I exclaimed

"Oh yes."

"Really?" I couldn't believe him. "You met the Shakespeare?"

"He was somewhat curious of my stories of far off lands. Got his more factual plays from me."

"Who else did you meet or have influence upon?"

"Dickens, Fitzgerald, met Austen a few times, she was quite amiable."

"You have to tell me about those encounters at some point! Wow, all those great minds and you actually met them and conversed."

Dmitri shrugged. "Most of those meetings were just pure coincident."

"still." I turned my attention back to the shelves. I spotted a very large novel. Walking towards it the spine read "James Patterson: the Complete Works". Oh. My. God.

I reached for the large hardback and was stunned to find that it weighed a ton. So much so that my hand flopped and the book dropped to the ground. I awaited the thump on the floor, the pages ripping.

"If you needed help to lift the book, all you had to do was ask." Dmitri murmured, holding the book with delicate hands.

"I didn't want to be incompetent. I am able to do things by myself."

"I wasn't implying anything, but I won't judge if you ask for help in anything."

An Edward remark was what I expected. 'You're too fragile to do things' was a common saying, it was often paired with 'I don't want anything to happen to you as I love you so dearly.' Well, obviously he didn't love me as he didn't stay when I begged, pleaded even.

Coming from Dmitri, it was one friend to another. I have only known him for what, three day max and already we understand more about each other more than Edward and I ever did.

"Are you going to get that book, miss? I would like to go on my lunch break sometime today."

The shop keeper tapped her foot impatiently.

"Oh, um, yes!" I said. I reached out for the book, but Dmitri was already turning to the counter.

My brain and I must have a chat at some point to discuss a matter of reaction time. Within a few minutes we were walking through the shopping centre, dodging the giggling girls that caught sight of Dmitri. We walked in silence until we got to the car park were Dmitri stopped.

"What is-"

"shush." He whispered. I watched him as he sniffed the air. His eyes turned opaque as he shot looks left and right.

"There's another vampire here. Keep your head down." He barely whispered .My ears strained to hear him. I slowly got on the car parks floor, hiding behind the car in front of me.

Dmitri motioned to stay put with his hand. He stood tall as he walked down the car park, graceful and lithe, majestic nearly.

"Dmitri." A velvety voice said. "Well, it has been a while." The voice was familiar. I've heard it before, somewhere.

"Always a pleasure to meet up with an old acquaintance, Laraunt."

Laurant? The vampire who's part of the James gang who almost killed me? The one who warned us of James' abilities? _That_ Laurant?

"I believe it's been... 127 years since they last let you out for a vacation?"

"Yes. They are letting me have some time to accustom to the new world. They needed somebody to understand the human's technology." Dmitri answered. "What brings you here, Laurant?"

There was a slight pause. "I'm on an errand for Victoria, she sent me here to pick up some things."

"How is she? Well, I hope?" there was something in Dmitri's' voice, concern? Familiarity?

"Not too well after the Cullen's killed James. She isn't feeding much anymore."

"It would be better for her to take up a hobby, to keep her mind of things."

"I shall relay your concern to her; maybe she will come and find you for that hobby."

"Alas, I won't be here tomorrow, I shall be returning to Italy."

"What a shame, she would have so liked to spend time with you."

"I would have too," Dmitri lied flawlessly. "But I do have to be back in Voltaire by midday tomorrow."

"Ah, that would pose a problem to Victoria, she currently is in Mexico but I doubt that she could run that fast. We should catch up again; find us when you come back to America when you have more time?"

"Certainly." Dmitri sounded pleased.

There was a rush of wind and Laurant was gone.

Laurant didn't smell me, did he? Oh god, what if he did? He would tell Victoria and she would find me and get revenge for what Edward had done to James. My breathing came in short gasps.

"Bella! Calm down! Take deep breaths." Dmitri's hands were on my shoulders, his eyes bore into mine. I tried to breathe deeply as he suggested.

"What are we going to do?"

Dmitri continued to gaze into Bella's chocolate brown eyes. "We are going to go ahead as planned, and then after business has been finished here, we will go to France."

"France?"

Dmitri shrugged. "I've always wanted to see the Eifel Tower when it had finished."

I got up off the ground with Dmitri's help.

"We better get back and pack then."

"Yes."

We quickly got in the Beatle and drove out of the car park. Once we hit the motorway, silence occurred.

"How do you know Laurant?" I asked

"Old acquaintance."

I waited for more, he said nothing.

"When and where did you meet him?"

Dmitri clutched the steering wheel. "I knew him when he was a child."

"Okay." I pondered. "Any reason why you knew him?"

His jaw clenched. "I knew his mother quite well."

I stared at him. What the hell does that mean?

He side glanced at me.

"His mother was in a tribe, I found her in the woods one day. She thought I was a god and wanted to please me in any way she could. Seven months later she was being burned for consorting with demons and her child was banished. Not that the tribe cared, for the child looked as a grown man would and had blood red eyes."

My brain went into over drive. "Your Laurent's' father?"

He nodded grimly.

"Does he know?"

"No, he thinks he was born as a vampire, one of the originals. He will never forgive me for his mother's death if he found out his true heritage."

I leaned back in the seat.

"It was a great mistake which I regret every day." He murmured.

"What has happened between you and Victoria?"

He remained silent.

"I just want to know if there is any possibility of her turning up at our door step in the near and distant future."

* * *

><p>She had said 'our'. Dmitri jumped inside. She intended to stay with him for a long while. This was the best thing he had heard since sliced bread came into circulation.<p>

"You have no worries what so ever about her turning up. Laurant was just kidding about anything happening between her and I, nothing did. It was just a gossip rumour of the time."

"Good." She said assuredly.

Dmitri was perplexed by her questions. Was there a reason behind her questioning?

"Is there anywhere you need to go before we leave?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "I will need to call my dad. Just to let him know that I'm going away for a while to clear my head and see the world."

Dmitri handed Bella his phone.

She keyed in the number that was instinctual. The phone rang.

"Bella?! Is that you?" the phone rang for only three seconds.

"Yeah, Dad." Bella gulped. "It's me."

"Where are you? How are you? When are you coming back?"

"I'm in a car driving with a friend," she glanced over at Dmitri. "I'm fine; I won't be back for a while though. A long while."

"What bought this on?" Charlie yelled "Come home this instant!"

"Charlie." Bella said sternly. "I'm 18, you can no longer tell me what to do. I'll call you when I can. Bye."

"No, Bella wait-"she closed the mobile and handed it back to Dmitri.

* * *

><p>It was some independence that she had shown on this day. On the other end of the phone line, Charlie hollered onto deaf ears. He cursed then slammed the phone down. Why would his daughter do such a thing to him? She was happy with him, wasn't she? Her school grades haven't gone down, in fact, she's excelling to be top of the class. It wasn't his fault was it? Maybe he did something that had upset her. She did ask him to get some blue paint, Charlie got red and green instead as he completely forgot.<p>

Or it may have been something he didn't do. He thought for a moment. There was a long list. She left him the way Renee did, with a phone call.

He wasn't just going to sit there, wallowing in his grief. He was going to find her.

Dialling a number he knew well, he walked into the hall and shrugged his jacket on.

"Billy, get Jacob on the phone."

**SOOOOOO... i appollogize for the late updates, hectic times with exams and all. give me a week nd a bit for chapter 10 :) thanks to the few that follow my story! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

When we got back to Dmitri's place, we didn't waste any time in packing. There were suitcases in the porch.

Dmitri looked at the note that was etched gracefully with blue ink.

I thought you may need these. Viola.

"She thinks of everything." He shook his head and smiled.

Viola, huh? Who was she? Dmitri seemed happy that this 'Viola' girl helped him out.

Before I even reached the boot, Dmitri had already moved the shopping into the house and put the kettle on.

"I hate vampire speed." I muttered.

"I'm sorry. I just thought that you would be eager to get out of here as soon as."

"It just takes the point out of there not being enough hours in the day. It's fine really."

I walked into the house, dragging the purple suitcase with me. Dmitri lifted the blue one and closed the ancient door behind him.

I placed the suitcase in the entry and unzipped it. I reached for my shopping and tipped them into the case.

"You don't fold your clothes?" Dmitri queried

I turned to him. He held a hot chocolate in his hand. Marshmallows were piling out of the mug with chocolate powder sprinkled over the top.

"I don't see why I should. They will only get crinkled anyway."

Dmitri sat down beside me. "Finally, someone with sense."

He handed me the hot chocolate. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

I sipped gently at the scalding drink.

"We will be leaving as soon as you're ready."

"Okay." I gulped the hot chocolate, not caring when it scalded my throat. I placed the cup on the floor. "Ready when you are."

I felt the wind past me. "Ready?" His suitcase was by the door along with mine.

"Let's go."

...

He hovered in the darkness of the shadows, watching the girl with thirsty eyes. This went against all his upbringing, but on the other hand... he had left that behind. The girl reached into her shoulder bag and rummaged around for her phone.

"Damn!" She cursed.

"May I help you?" he asked.

The Girl jumped. "Gosh!" she breathed. "You scared me there!"

"Do you need any help getting home?" the handsome man asked. His skin glowed in the setting light. His locks were full and a brilliant bronze colour.

"Um, that would be great thanks." The girl said nervously. "I have no idea where I am, I lost my way looking for a book shop, the Whale and something? I don't know, my friend suggested it to me."

"You can get lost easily here, so many streets around, cut throughs. You could run into very strange characters on these streets."

"Actually, my friends said they would meet me at a restaurant. A very crowded restaurant. It was nice running into you..?"

"Edward. I don't think that your friends will miss you. I read their minds earlier. They led you on a wild goose chase, revenge for being such a bitch to them. I quite agree with them. You slept with their boyfriends."

Edward shot to the brown haired girls' neck and bit down hard. No one could hear the muffled screams of the nineteen year old girl. Too soon, he thought, the girl dropped limply in his arms.

"Well done, Edward." A clap came from behind. "Or should I say, welcome back Ripper."

The hunter turned to the flaming hair that was silhouetted against the shadows. The blood soaked smile came along his face.

...

"How much longer until we hit the airport?" I asked

"Half an hour tops." Dmitri replied. "I'm sorry that we couldn't go straight to North Carolina. They are not letting anyone in for government reasons."

"It's not your fault that they have suspicions of drug smuggling on a huge scale; there is no need to apologize."

"It's not my fault this time around."

I tried to hide the shock that spread across my face.

"It was a very long time ago, and it was for medicinal purposes anyway. A favour to a friend even."

"So," I swallowed, "where are we going now?"

"With any luck, we would be getting a plane over to Canada."

"Why Canada?" I asked

"To visit someone and the views of course."

"Who's the someone?" I persisted.

Dmitri looked at me with laughing eyes. "Must you know everything about everything about everything?"

"Yes. Hello, I was kept in the dark with the Cullen's literally all the time. That may have ensured an OCD effect on me." I laughed.

"We are visiting a cousin of mine."

"How can he be a cousin?"

"Because he is simply that, my cousin."

"Is he a cousin by venom or a cousin by blood?"

"By blood, of course. How could he not be, after all we don't do cousins in our world." Dmitri said. "He is my uncles' son."

We arrived at the airport then. Dmitri handed the car to the valet. "Take care of this car on the plane, or you will have her to answer to. This is her favourite car and she worked hard to get it. You don't want to see her lose her temper."

I laughed on the inside. He would have made a joke out of anything, wouldn't he?

I glared at the valet to prove the point, then followed Dmitri into the terminal.

"That," I said after I was out of earshot, "was brilliant!"

We had a laughing fit, fully aware that we looked like two lunatics on crazy pills.

"We best get a move on, the plane is leaving soon."

We both walked towards the lifts. My arm brushed against his. "Sorry!" I knew that even Emmet didn't even like to be touched by accident.

"What for, Bella?"

"I brushed against your arm." I said

"You don't need to apologize for that."

He reached for my hand and held it with the lightest touch. "I don't even mind if we do this."

His hand was surprisingly warm against mine. Not like the ice cold imprint that His hand had left.

"Your hand is warm."

"Another one of my little gifts, I can maintain a body heat. Aro was surprised at this little gift as well." He smiled.

"I quite like this gift. You could be a space heater. I may keep you for a while."

Dmitri's smile grew at that. "I would be honoured to be your space heater, Isabella Swan."

I didn't let go of his hand until customs had to check us over. We went through without a battered eyelid. This Jenks must be extremely good.

The plane wasn't as packed as I had hoped. Other than myself and Dmitri, there were around fifteen other people on the plane. Barely half full. Our seats were at the back end of the plane, all the others where nearer to the front. We were basically alone.

"After you." Dmitri said.

"Why thank you kind sir!" I tried to sound English, but it didn't really work out.

"I'm going to have to teach you to do accents properly. That was just laughable."

"Oh, like you can't do any better." I retorted.

"Name a place."

"Oklahoma."

"Well, "Dmitri twanged. "Ain't it a nice view out the window there, mind you, not as purty as the one I've got."

"I applaud you, that was a perfect try." I thought for a moment. "Italy."

"Isabella," he said, Jesus that accent made my heart pang. "You is a beautiful as the aroma of baking bread, simply radiant."

"Okay, fine. You win."

"I'll let you win next time, Bella." He smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure that you will." For next time would be fun. I thought secretly.

...

That must have had some effect on her, I complimented her, in accents nonetheless and yet she still remains as pale as a ceramic mug. What does a guy have to do to get a girl to blush? Apparently more than what I was doing.

"We'll be on the plane for another hour or so. You could sleep if you want to."

"You won't mind if I snore would you?"

She snores? There is a minute flaw in my angel? I must see this to believe it.

"No, I tend to block out noise that doesn't sound pleasant."

"Night then, wake me up before we land?" her large eyes looked up into mine.

"Of course I will."

Bella reclined against the seat and shut her eyes. Her breathing slowed as she fell into dreamless sleep. She radiated peace as she fell under. It was a beautiful sight.

Turns out, she doesn't snore. More of a deep sighing now and then, I felt myself fall in step with her breathing and I, too, relaxed.

"Excuse me, sir," a nasally voice asked. How irritating. Just as I was about to fantasize about Bella in all sorts of places. "Would your wife like a pillow or a blanket?"

Wife?

"Um, yes, that would be nice, uh, thank you."

The air hostess thought that we were married? If only, then I could have a claim to Bella, one that no one else can have. She would be mine and I would be hers. What a thought, a marvellous thought.


	11. Chapter 11

a/n just to let you know, im doing exams soon ish, as in, two weeks away,so there wont be many updates until june. i shall leave you on a predictable cliff hanger, tis a juxotupostion i know. but i am still writing the story, so do not fear! i shall update when i can.

thanks to all who read! those faithful seven of you that follow the story, you are better than chocolate! and that is saying something.

* * *

><p>Chapter 11<p>

"Bella, wake up."

I woke with a start. My neck hurt like hell.

"We need to get off the plane now."

I blinked a few times while my eyes adjusted to the evening light. Dmitri's eyes were gazing upon mine.

"The plane has landed. We're in Canada now."

I rubbed my eyes in attempt to get the sleepy dust out of my eyes.

"Have some water, Bella." A bottle of cool water was pressed to my lips.

I drank gratefully. Wiping my mouth, now fully awake, I looked at Dmitri.

His hair was slightly ruffled; did he try to sleep for appearance? Or was it so that I would have to reach up and comb it down?

Must have been the latter.

"I can't stand messy hair." I mumbled.

"Feel free to touch me anytime." He boyishly grinned. Jeez Louise, that was a cute smile.

I stood as abruptly as one from sleep can and walked over Dmitri. I reached up to the overhead and grabbed my bag. The over helpful, over skinny air hostess guided me to my exit and wished me a pleasant stay in Canada.

I stormed off to the baggage area. Since this was Canada, they tend to get your bags off of the conveyor belt and line them up nicely for the oh-so-cute sniffer dogs to sniff for drugs. My bag was in the line.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm a guy that doesn't get out much and I've been stuck watching sappy sitcoms to get ideas of the modern world. I'm sorry."

I turned my head. Dmitri was there with his eyes pleading. I am not the forgiving kind.

"I will think about it."

He composed himself and walked towards the suitcases. He chatted to the guard as if they were old buddies. A minute later he came back with our bags.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Get our bags so quickly?"

"I used my vampy powers."

"I thought that you could just track people."

"Yes, I do have a few other small abilities that some know about. Influencing is one of them."

"How come you have these gifts?"

Dmitri glanced at me. From his view, I expect he sees and over curious girl wanting to know absolutely everything about him, leaving no stone unturned, leaving no privacy.

"I was one of the first vampires. Perhaps out of four, maybe five hundred. We were only just starting to figure out how to create one of our own, and even then the success rates were low. It was either we took too much blood, or not enough venom or too much damage to the body."

"So the first vamps, have some minor powers?"

"Basically."

"What others do you have?"

"Knowing where I am, I can sense lies if I wanted to, I can also make people think that they never saw me or an event." Dmitri said.

Wow. Call them minor powers? He could literally hide himself from the world with these. But why hasn't he?

"Our car is here."

...

The journey was silent bar the odd comment on the scenery. It was quite beautiful, honestly. There really are not any words to describe it. Although, Dmitri was quite persistent about keeping to the other side of the car, as far away from me as vampirically possible.

My eyes wandered over Dmitri. He had changed his clothes on the plane, to keep up the façade of being human. Instead of the long sleeved black shirt that he had worn, he now had on a red and blue checked shirt with loose blue jeans and converse. He looked like the boy next door and Clark Kent at the same time. Did I mention he wore glasses? The dorky ones that look real but in actual fact is just glass that you find in a window. They suited him slightly.

"Why do you wear glasses?"

He glanced at me through the glasses in question. His mud orange eyes met mine.

"It's quite normal to wear glasses now, if a person doesn't have glasses, they are noticed for their startling good looks." He said cockily.

I gently whacked his arm. "You have to stop that or I will seriously consider investing in a diamond tipped chainsaw."

"That won't work. If you got a chainsaw that was perhaps vampire tipped, then you may have some success." He smirked.

"Well, there are a few vampires that I know that could feel the wrath of me while I peel their skins from their cold bodies."

Dmitri strained a cough and shifted his position.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Seriously what?"

I yanked him back to face me. Then I saw.

"I'm so sorry." He said quietly.

I was a bit flabagastered. "It's a natural reaction. Don't worry about it."

"It shouldn't have done that. It never has before."

My eyes shot to him. " You've never had a, y'know, that?"

"No, and I have no idea why."

God. I'm going to have to do the birds and the bees talk. "Didn't you have female companions over the years?"

"No one really got me, when they did, they gave up."

"That," I gestured to his trouser area. "Happens when you get turned on by something or someone."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

There were a few moments silence.

I cleared my throat. "So, how long until we get there?"

"Now."

Dmitri shot out of the car and vanished inside the house. I quickly got out of the car and followed.

"Bella, stay outside." I heard him yell.

...

I shot out of the car and into the house. My hand struck Jonathan's neck and a resounding crack was heard throughout the room.

"Long time no see, cuz. Has the Volturi finally let you roam the world after a few hundred years of service?" Jonathan gasped. "A human? You bought a human for me? You really shouldn't have!"

"You are not to touch her unless she is in danger. You even think about tasting her, you are a dead and tortured man." I growled.

"You expect me to listen to you? You are such a hypocrite! Even you would drain her dry if not for your diverse diet."

I gripped tighter to his neck, the strains showing with the cracks.

"Okay! I will not bite your precious human!" Jonathan grabbed at my hand. "Can you put me down now?"

I shoved him to the floor.

"Bella, it's safe to come in now."

I heard her crunching feet coming up the foot path. She reached the door and opened it. Her eyes were riddled with confusion at what had occurred.

"I thought that your cousin was friendly."

I glared at him. "Oh, he will be gentlemanly now; he just had to be reminded."

Jonathan quickly got up and bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Isabella, I am known as Jonathan."

Bella looked to me. "Is he for real?"

"Oh yes. He did his chivalry training with Arthur Pendragon, best of his class, supposedly."

Bella's eyes went wide.

"Call me Bella, and I'll call you Johnny."

"Johnny... I like it." Jonathan said. "Now what causes you to come here cuz? I thought you were trapped in Italy for all eternity.

"I have to do some errands for Aro. He said to take my time. Meaning I could be gone for a year or ten without him wondering where I am."

"Great. So why is Miss Bella here?"

"She is..."

"She is hitchhiking around and Dmitri offered to be my official driver. He answered an ad." Bella continued

"Well, now." Johnny crossed his arms. "He did, did he? He didn't happen to save you from a car accident by chance and take you home to his pad?"

"How did you know?"

"It is my ability to see truths. They're like little movies that appear above your head. Quite fascinating really, you're sort of blurred."

"Vamps have that affect on me, a mind reader couldn't read my mind and I'm sure glad that he didn't. No one has a clue why that happens."

"You could sure pick the interesting ones." Johnny shoved me. Well. It is common courtesy to repay the kindness.

I shoved him through the wall.

...

"What next?" the hunter asked while wiping the fresh blood away from his mouth.

"Well, you have done what I asked you to. All those people joining our army"

He turned to red head. "Do we need any more?"

"Just a few, to be sure of our win."

He dropped the man to the floor and paid no attention to his withering.

The red head walked over to the dying body an took its hand

"This one will have a power, it was a great tradesman. It had good persuasion techniques."

"When are we going to attack?" the hunter said coldly.

"Soon. Very soon."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The first day I spent in Canada had been an interesting one.

After the minor, Dmitri assured me, accident of the wall crumbling to pieces; Jonny introduced me to his land.

I was confused at first; his phrasing was slightly out of date, say a couple hundred years.

What he meant was that he was going to show me the absolute beauty of Canada.

The land his home was alone a beautiful countryside, with vast walkways in the woodlands and what Johnny called a small, but in human standards was actually quite a large, lake that you could swim and fish in. Behind that were a trio of mountains where he had assured me were safe to climb if I so desired to, as long as I had a vampire with me, just in case.

He had gestured to the south of his lands and talked of a small town where I could go and browse if I wanted to. He owned all the businesses, he told me, and I could get whatever I needed without any payment if I dropped his name. He would call ahead of course, to let them know to expect visitors.

I can say, the absolute highlight of my day, was when we went to the east of his property.

"And here," he had said. "Is the stables."

Stables? I thought. It was a blinking equine centre! There were far too many horses for my eyes to count. Horses of all colours and sizes reached far into the distance.

I had gone up to the horses and stroked their manes, cooing them. They fought after my attention, as if they hadn't seen anyone warm for a long while.

"they don't have much human company." Johnny said. Well, that answered that. They craved the warmth that humans gave.

Dmitri had been staring at me for the whole time.

"You could choose a horse for you to ride while you're here."

I had whipped my head around to Johnny when he said that. "Really? You're going to trust me with a horse?"

"Why not? It seems like you are going to be here a while anyway, might as well have something to occupy your time."

I did then refrain myself from squealing like a teenager at a concert. What I didn't do was think about what would happen if I gave Johnny a hug.

"Mmm. She does smell radiant. I can see why you like her so much."

Again, Johnny found himself under a crumbling brick wall.

The rest of the day, I had spent with the horses. Dmitri found it funny that my excuse for grooming every single one of them was 'bonding'. He just didn't get the concept of animal-human companionship.

Johnny also stayed with us for a time. He showed me how to groom the horses properly, not like they taught in riding schools. The ancient way, the way he was taught as a boy, got the best results.

"If you're so against the riding schools, why don't you open up your own?" I asked.

Johnny looked stunned. "I hadn't thought of that."

"It would get rid of suspicious people," I had pointed out, "And it would give the horses the company they need."

His eyes had looked conflicted. "What if I slip up? What if someone injures themselves?"

"I am trained in first aid, y'know."

"I might consider your proposal. As long as Dmitri is willing to teach as well." Johnny shot Dmitri a look.

"I don't know, I haven't been around humans for a long while." Dmitri had said.

"Oh come on!" Johnny said "you are a much finer horseman than I! You have to help, I may make huge mistakes in teaching! After all, you did teach before all this."

"You did?" I had said.

"Yeah. I did teach back then." He faced his cousin. "But not in a long time, a few hundred years at least. I can watch, but I don't think I could teach."

He left then, swiftly.

Johnny jerked his thumb after him. "He'll come round. I can feel it."

"Another one of your talents?"

"Naw. I just know him too well."

After this exchange, I finished grooming all the horses I could before I collapsed where I stood. I wandered back to the house, or should I say mansion, discovering Dmitri and Johnny talking and laughing over a tall glass of red liquid.

"Please tell me that what you're drinking is red grape juice."

"It's red grape juice." They both replied. They looked at each other. "Jinx!" the yelled.

"You guys are corny."

"We invented that form of irony." Johnny.

"That," I sat on the next bar stool. "Is even worse."

"How was your four hours of horse time?" Dmitri asked, leaning on his elbow.

"Calming." I answered. "We need more oats."

"I shall go order them now." Johnny went at human speed.

"so." Dmitri asked after Johnny had left the room. "What is your plan for the rest of the evening?"

My eyes wandered over to his face. His dark blonde hair tousled in an artistic way, even though it was simply windblown. His eyes were darker tint than they were yesterday, he must be thirsty.

"Have you fed in the last few days?"

"I haven't had time, or the means to go and hunt for deer."

"You should really get round to eating something, or someone."

"I don't know the area; it has changed a lot since I came here last."

"You do need to eat." I looked around the kitchen then. "I shall make you something."

I got up and rummaged through the numerous cupboards, and I had pulled out various tins of meat and vegetables. Grabbing a saucepan as well as a wooden spoon, I also had found a colander to strain the juices.

"You good for soup?" I had asked.

"What kind?" he eyed up the cans. "Corn beef, hot dog, peeled tomatoes, baby carrots and... tuna?"

"Yeah. I could make it work." I started to open the cans then. Being the klutz that I was, I cut my finger on the tin opener, even though that it actually impossible to do. It was a sodding safety one. "Ouch."

Dmitri was by my side, holding my hand carefully. He looked into my eyes.

"You won't need a plaster if I do this."

He brought my hand to his mouth. I was either in a state of shock or numbness because I didn't stop him.

His tongue welcomed my finger into his mouth and gently sucked. My mind was buzzing. I knew that the prey felt what the vampire wanted when they fed. A tight coil occurred in my stomach as he licked my finger over again, coating it with healing spit.

I could feel the cut mending. Dmitri's eyes turned a deeper shade of orange while this exchange occurred. His hunger was sated.

"Um... thank you." I said, my cheeks burned with the silent awkwardness.

"I wouldn't let you be hurt, even from a small cut such as this."

His hand held onto mine, though not the tight vice grip of Edwards or the scalding one of Jacobs, but a soft, human temperature.

Even though he was a vampire, even though I'm just getting over Edward, I felt then that I could move on with life, here with Dmitri. I would have to go back to Forks eventually and face all the bullshit I had left behind, but for now, I'll call this my home.

* * *

><p>an; i'm now in the depths of revision for exams and prep for the practicals, so i wont be updating for until mid may, then i have three days where i can chill and write.

thanks to the people who have kept with the story and added it to their favorites and/or following it.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"What do you want Charlie?" I asked, I really had a lot on my plate what with Bella storming off and not calling me back after the thirty odd calls and messages that I left on her cell.

"Bella's gone."

"Yeah, I figured" I sarcastically said. "She ran out on me."

"No, she left, Jacob, she left Forks."

"What?!"

"She left, Jake!" Charlie choked. "She left me, just like Renné!"

"Calm down!" I was having a hard time myself. "What did she say to you last?"

"I had no right to keep her, she's eighteen, she can do as she wants, what am I going to do?"

"I'll go out and search for her, don't worry Charlie. I will find her." I said with dead certainty.

I slammed the phone back on the hook and ran out of the house. I shook off my cut offs and plaid shirt, quickly tying them with the band around my foot.

Transforming hurt slightly. It feels like your skin stretching, tightly taut against your muscles and bones. Your skin would rip then, in many different places at the same time, in waves. Then your joints pop painfully out of place growing as they do so. When your head changes, it is like yawning and hiccuping at the same time, really awkward on your lungs. You can't breathe for a few moments so your newly formed body is starved of oxygen. The most confusing thing is your vision. That changes the most.

First everything is as you would normally see it; a tree is a tree, sun shine is yellow, earth is a brown mud. Then, suddenly, you can see the millions of flecks of dust that is present everywhere. The colors each shade has its own name, there are so many! The yellow, amber, green, blue of the sunlight reflected off every surface. This is the best part of being a wolf, the way you see things in a new light, opening your mind to all the possibilities that the world has to offer.

I shook myself, waking up the muscles that had been asleep for 16 years. Revived, I ran into the woods. The ground beneath my paws crumbled against my speed, fresh green shoots were squashed underneath me. The feeling of the speed, the wind coursing through my fur, the smells that whizzed past, it almost makes you wonder why we ever bother changing back into our human forms. Life was so much more as a wolf.

_Jake! I haven't heard from you in days! What up, man!_ Seth.

_What do you mean, what up? You insulted Bella! I'm pissed at you !_I growled in return.

_You know I can't control my feelings or my actions yet! I've only been a wolf for two months!_

_That is NO excuse! _ I vocalized. _She is a girl, you DON'T talk to girls in that way, it is not nice!_

_But she smelled of leech! What was I supposed to do, give her a hug and say hey, you know me and you ex are mortal enemies and hurting you would hurt him!_

_YOU ARE NOT GOING NEAR HER!_

_You can stop with this bitchin', bitches! _Jared joked. Seriously I can hardly bear his wise cracks.

_I agree with Jared, we have to focus on finding Bella's scent, for Charlie's sake._ Sam joined. _Seth and Leah, go west. Jared and myself will go east, Embry and Quill, to the south. Jake, you're fast and you've sharper senses. Can you handle north?_

_Definitely. _I confirmed, immediately changing my direction to the north. Good job my hair grows fast, I am going to need it.

My nose lead me towards the middle of the forest. The clearing was familiar. The same sweet scent made an echo into my memory. The same purple hued flowers. The same tree line.

This was the place where we killed that long haired leech; the same place where she would come with _him_. His scent was coming clearer now, it burned my nose like a vat of oil onto skin. It disgusted me to no end.

Then I smelt Bella. The floral and spicy scent that made her, her. It went through the clearing, centralizing in a single spot. As if she walked purposefully to that patch of grass and sat there. I walked over to the patch. I could smell the saltiness of tears, they weren't that old, perhaps a week. I had made her cry a week ago by saying she couldn't come over. It wasn't safe for her, I hadn't completely mastered my control over the change. But I couldn't tell her that. I had done it by a handwritten note through her post box. I regret that I wasn't man enough to text or call.

Once I got her scent in my mind, I took deep lung full's of air, tasting it, detecting which direction she went in. I caught a whiff of her scent. I ran in that direction. The smell of petrol hit me like a slap. I ran faster. Maybe the reason why Bella hadn't called is because she's hurt, or worse.

No. I will not think like that. I would feel it if she...

I stopped when I hit the crash site. The truck, the truck that I brought back to life, curled around a tree. There were metal chunks strewn around the tree line. I smelt the blood. Her blood all over the ground, the truck, the trees. It was everywhere. She can't of survived this. Not without vampire blood.

No

No.

NO!

...

"Bella, wake up! I made you breakfast!" Dmitri called up the stairs.

I mumbled something like 'piss off I'm sleeping', but it being early in the day, I honestly cannot be held responsible for my actions.

"That is quite rude! I cannot believe such vulgarities coming from a lady's mouth!" Johnny exclaimed.

"This hour isn't exactly lady-like. So stuff it."

"Aloe Vera with that burn, cuz?" Dmitri joked.

"To hell with you all! I'm eating out!" with a slam that ricocheted throughout the house, Johnny was gone.

"It's safe, the ravenous vamp has gone!"

I groaned at the thought of moving. I was having a nice dream. The young Tom Cruise was highly involved and he was highly topless.

And bottomless. But that is mute point.

"I made you pancakes!"

Pancakes?

I was up with a shot. I ran downstairs to the heavenly smell of the burning batter. To hell with sleep, pancakes where far more important than sweet dreams filled with Tom Cruise!

I ran down the stairs so fast that I fell on the top steps. For a moment, I was flying. Time seemed to go slowly, even though I was hurtling down. But that moment was over in a second. Luke warm arms wrapped around me, locking myself to Dmitri.

I opened my eyes. Orange brown looked back at me.

"You are really accident prone, you know that right?"

Then I did something I'd never thought I'd do to a person again.

I kissed him.

...

"Aro, how could we let it get this bad?" Caius asked. "We could of been rid of this petty problem a long while ago."

Aro tapped his fingers upon his throne. "I was bored."

"You were bored?" Marcus queried.

"Yes. I was bored, brother. I wanted something to happen to amuse me. It has been a while since we had decent entertainment."

"But this, entertainment, is going to cost us a lot of time and resources."

"Oh, but where is the fun in that?" Aro giggled.

"Masters."

They turned to the new addition to the grand room. The blonde one had come in.

"He is here again. With a new proposal."

"Oh! How exciting!" Aro said.

"Show him in."

The bronze haired boy entered the grand room once more, he hated it. He was showing weakness by doing this.

"Well?"

"I can give you Victoria."

There was a silence in the room.

"Now isn't that interesting?" Aro finally said.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

My lips brushed against hers. They were soft, yet firm and had the distinct taste of strawberries. I had imagined this millions of times, but none of them could prepare me for the real thing.

When she broke the kiss, I couldn't help but feel distraught from the lack of contact. She looked as if she had made a mistake.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." She said quietly.

She was sorry? For such a sweet thing like that, I should have been sorry that I stole it from her.

"No, don't be sorry." I said gently.

"I really shouldn't have done that, now things are awkward. I messed up another friendship again." She got out of my arms and brushed herself down.

"No! You haven't." Should I tell her?

"Now you would feel obliged to be a gentleman about it all, when I don't want you to be. I deserve your hatred, a human kissed you forcefully. I bet that you are running for the bleach."

She started to walk away. I reached for her wrist. She stopped.

"I've wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you. I just thought it 'gentlemanly' to wait for you to want it."

"You have?" she turned her head. Those warm eyes melted my insides.

"Yes. And I would greatly appreciate you letting me kiss you all hours of the day."

...

Was he saying that he wants to be with me? Little old me who is literally a home wrecker in every sense of the word? I couldn't believe it.

"You do?" Jeez I have got to stop with the simple syllable words, he may regret saying things.

"Of course. I find you the most intelligent, well read, kind hearted person on two legs and I wouldn't dream of ever letting you go. Unless you wanted to. If it made you happy."

This is as close to a true declaration of love that I will ever get. Where Edward showed it through overprotecting me so that I can't breathe without his say so, and Jacob showing it very physically, Dmitri said it with words. That means something more.

He pulled me closer to him. "I love you. Even if you don't love me, I will always love you."

I looked to his eyes, they shone love and affection. I believed him.

"Yes."

His looked turned quizzical. "Yes to what?"

I chuckled. "You may kiss me all hours of the day."

His smile could have sustained a universe.

...

"Victoria? Is this the one who is causing all that havoc in the new world?"

"Yes. I can give you her." Edward said. He could feel the venom coating his teeth in hatred of these creatures; they had no right to be called men.

"Well." Aro said. "Why don't you? It would provide you with a possibility of achieving a higher rank when you join us. Bringing down such a nuisance would do us all such a kindness." He looked to his councilmen. "Don't you think, Caius, Marcus?"

"I couldn't say, brother." Marcus replied in a tired attitude.

"It would benefit." Caius replied nonchalantly.

Aro turned back to Edward. "It would reduce our to do list if you did bring her here. When can it be achieved by?"

"A week from today." Edward said, emotionless.

"So fast?" Aro asked.

Edward nodded.

"Well. Now this is an interesting development." Aro said, waving his hand in dismissal.

Edward inclined his head and promptly excited the moldy room.

...

"Any Luck?" Charlie asked me. We had spent the last two and a half hours scouring the web for any accidents.

I closed the web page. "No. There are no reports of people coming in with car injuries or any missing persons." I held my head in my hands, dragging them through my hair. "What are we going to do?"

Charlie paced back and forth in the kitchen. "We could do flyers. We could drive around and ask if they've seen her, not all reports are displayed on the internet so there may still be a chance..."

I got up out of my chair, grabbing Charlie's shoulders. "We _will_ find her. I promise you I won't rest until she is found. I'll scale the globe if I have to." Charlie looked a mess, he could barely stand straight and he hadn't eaten for hours. "You get rest. Don't make me get Dr Grey to prescribe you bed rest."

"Fine. I get some shut eye. But only for a few hours, wake me up okay?" he patted my back as he passed. "Jeez Jake, you running a fever? Maybe you need to get some rest."

I let out a breath I didn't realize that I was holding. Only Charlie, the chief of police, could notice my abnormal body temperature. He will figure it out. Shit.

I can't just stay here. I have to go after her scent again. I have to try.

I excited the house as silently as a six foot ish wolf man could; my feet pounded the floor with resounding echoes. As soon as I was outside, a little ways to the forest, I stripped, tying my shorts to the tie around my leg. My spine shivered at the tingles that reverberated through my body. The slight pain at my skin stretching and breaking, my bones enlarging and rearranging, left dull aches in my wolf form. I was slowly getting the hang of shifting effectively. Others take more than a minute and some up to three. I cut my time to less than 30 seconds. Even Sam was impressed with my time.

My paws scratched the dry earth below. It hadn't rained in a while; I would still be able to detect any faint traces of her scent. I could be gone for days searching.

_Jake! What are you doing, man? _Quill asked.

_I'm going to see chronicles of Narnia with all the nursery kids, Quill, what do you think I'm doing?_

_You're going after Bells, aren't you?_

_Well, we have a winner! _ I thought sarcastically. _I'm going to find a trail. Want to join me?_

_Sam has me running patrols. I don't think I can get out of them._

_We could say the alpha in me made you do it._

Quill seemed to be considering the options, hedging the bets.

_Where do we start?_

_You recall what her scent is like?_

_Yup. She still wears that floral perfume, right? Combined with strawberries it's a pretty hard scent to forget._

_Keep your hands of her, or you'll find your hands off you._

_Chill, Jake! I'll meet you at the crash site and we go from there? _He questioned.

_See you in a few?_

The connection between us dulled as we immersed ourselves with the woods. We sort of forget everything when we run; it's just that feeling that completes us. There really isn't any way for me to describe the sensation. Maybe you could compare it to a rush of adrenaline, but that still wouldn't be it.

The site still had tape surrounding the trees. 'No human admittance without protection'. Well. I'm not human.

I nudge the tape with my head, Quill was already sniffing around.

_Anything?_

_Not yet. But I just got here a few seconds ago._

I sniffed. Bella's blood still lingered in the air, the rust odour was almost too much for my sensitive snout. Unlike the others, since I have alpha blood, my senses are enhanced and I'm faster than them, much to Sam's displeasure.

Right. Logically, there are only so many ways out of this clearing and even those are limited when you injured beyond belief with a vampire. A vamp would run down one that was covered if it was carrying dinner. But judging by the imprint of a body left barely by the reluctant ground, it carried her off quickly, not returning to the scene. So if I was in a hurry and a vampire, the very thought disgusted me; I would go in an open direction to prevent any trace of my presence being detected.

I looked round the clearing. The most obvious choice was the road. I picked my way across the crime scene to the exit of the dirt path. My nose was hit with the acidic smell of vampire. A vamp did take her. But not this way. There was no trace of Bella at all. So. What would be the next option?

The unlikely path. Through the woods was the second option. In this area, the trees were many but spaced apart just enough to get a quad bike through. It made this the ideal location for hunting parties. I wandered round the edges of the clearing, taking deep breaths as I did so.

Tree. Raccoon. Deer. Bambi. Human. Male. Wolf pack. Huh. Didn't know that there were any packs up here, I thought they kept to the mountain ranges. Dog. Gunpowder. Strawberries. Human.

_That it! Quill, I found her! The vamp carried her off here. I'm going after her! You let Sam and everyone know, go now!_

Without a moment's hesitation, I sprinted after the strawberries. I kept my nose to the ground; I'm not going to lose this trial. I don't care how tired I get; I can handle sleep running.

I'm going to find her.


	15. Chapter 15

**a/n; i highly apologize for spelling and grammar. i'm slowly getting better.**

Chapter 15

Edward was disgusted with himself. It took a great amount of control to not kill his prey, his third human in eighty odd years. The control shouldn't have been a problem. He should not need to tell himself to stop, Edward should have known to. All his endeavors with human company over the past few decades went to nought. The human that now barely held on to its life was still draped in Edwards's arms. The same arms that had held Bella had clung to, unknowing to the gallons of blood that had been smothered across them. And she was never going to know.

"Edward, its empty, we are going"

He turned his head to see the inferno of hair that was Victoria. Her face was dripping from her dinner, the wrappings of which were at her bare feet. He hated her. There was no one else in the world that had vexed him more, who disgusted him as much as his nature did, who had manipulated him to become her 'mate'. His next actions were the bane of his existence.

Edward went to Victoria and licked her face free from blood, in return Victoria purred. This gesture was necessary; it kept her under Edwards's partial control. In all relationships, be it human or animal, the male had dominance. Doing this repulsive action to Victoria acted like a pull, kept her wanting to be near Edward. It was all part of Edwards plan.

"Where to, love?" in his mind, this love was false, he had to lie with his being to make her believe it.

"South" she said between purrs. "We are meeting someone there. He's important to my plan."

"Who is he?" he growled, as was customary when a mate mentions another, he detested his reactions to her words. But he had to act the part.

"No one you need to worry about. He is one of my line, his maker was my child. He owes me a favor."

"Then we shall go with speed, I know you like to collect your favors."

Victoria turned Edwards head towards her blood red eyes. "You still owe me a favor, Edward" she extended every word in an attempt to be sexy. It did the opposite for Edward.

"You should collect." Edward tried to replicate.

"Maybe I should."

...

Dmitri was not joking about kissing me all hours of the day. Five minutes didn't pass without him kissing me somewhere; my lips, cheeks, head, hand and even shoulders and stomach. I didn't mind, I should due to lack of personal space but then, Dmitri became a part of my person. So was it personal space infringement? Nah, not really.

Another bonus of being in the care of Dmitri is that he could cook. I mean really cook, like everything. There was nothing that he couldn't do. I name a dish and within the hour or two, it appears in front of me. I seriously had to stop myself from eating at point; I kind of wanted to keep my slim figure.

"I wouldn't care either way if you were slightly stuffed with fluff, I love you whatever shape you are." Dmitri told me. I didn't deny the warm fuzzy feeling that coursed through me when he said that.

At this moment, I was eating the most delectable cookies I have ever tasted. They were better than Grandma Swans, and that is saying something.

"How in hell did you learn how to cook like this? Surely the Voltori didn't let you cook for them?"

"Actually, they only called upon me when they needed my gift, they left me be otherwise. I wanted something to do. The human workers had to keep going out for food, so I just started cooking for them." He shrugged. "I guess that after a few hundred years recipes just gather in the back of my mind."

"The humans must have loved you."

"Yeah, some even tried to make a pass at me to snatch me up for my culinary skills. They were secretly hoping that said skills extended to the bedroom." The boyish grin returned.

I play slapped him. "That is rude!"

"You love it really!" he jested.

"I don't know." I turned to him.

"Come on!" he bent down near me. His face was inches from mine. "You love it really."

Dmitri's lips grazed mine for the briefest second. I leaned forward in attempt to snatch them back. But he was gone.

"See, you love it really." He was sitting on the sofa next to me.

"Of course I do." I said sarcastically.

"So, it's a new day. What do you want to do?"

I thought for a moment. "I'm going to the stables."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"Yes." I moved closer until I was nearly sitting on him. "But only so you can do the heavy lifting. Little old me can't be doing with the hors e shit handling."

"Your one to talk of old." He leaned to me, capturing my lips between his. His tongue pushed against my lips for permission, I granted him access. I never have done this before; I've only ever done light kissing with Edward. Never any of this type of thing, but I liked it.

So much so that I forgot to breath. I broke the kiss gasping for air.

"I forget that you need to breath, sorry." Dmitri said sheepishly.

"It's my fault. My brain forgot." I replied, still breathless.

"Always thought I was a great kisser, you just prove how much I was right. I literally took your breath away."

I hit him. Hard.

"You punch like a human. It's pitiful." He jested.

I got off the sofa, leaving a disgruntled vampire in my wake. The horses looked more appetizing by the second. Better than a rude centuries old vampire.

"I'm sorry! Bella, I was rude, I was out of line. It's just that I haven't felt this giddy since I was human."

I turned. "You do so much teasing; can't you tell when I'm teasing you?"

I reached for his hand. It was flushed, and turned to gooseflesh when I touched it.

"You can't be cold."

He shook his head.

"I shiver every time you touch me, you electrify my nerves. Not the most romantic sentiment, but it's true."

He was right. It wasn't romantic in anyway. To be fair, he was out of practice when it came to women, what with the Voltori keeping him under wraps for centuries.

"C'mon. The horses are waiting."

...

I ran for hours on the trail of Bella and the vampire. I first followed it to Port Angeles to a rather fancy house. Her scent was faint but it covered the whole place. Mainly the library, which was classic Bella. The vampire didn't smell bleach like as other vampires do. He, it was definitely a he, had the same stench as Dr Cullen did, that weird scent that made them a leader. So he was either part of a coven or a solo vamp. More likely a solo; there was only one bedroom that was used with the males scent. The scent also had the smell of food cooked wrong, y'know when you bake a hot dog and it smells weird? The bleach had that mixed in with it. Really weird.

The scent then went into town; I followed it round the houses and to a hotel. I didn't linger, I followed it to an airport. Shit. I can't follow them on a plane. Or could I? Maybe their scent was still on the plane they took. I couldn't exactly run through an airport as a wolf, or a top less well muscled bloke, I wouldn't get through security, let alone be shot at.

I spied a door on an outskirt building open. A janitor's entrance? I sprinted to it. Luckily my suspicions were right, there were uniforms hanging up on pegs. I must have been having a good day, an overall my size was just waiting for me, coupled with a hat and shoes. I yanked them on, loosely brushing myself down to appear like a janitor. I walked through the door on the other side of the room.

"Dan, DAN!" a middle aged short man came at me. "Thank the ducks your here! I need to go to the hospital, my boy fell out a tree and broke bones, think you can handle the interns for a few hours? I'd owe ya one!"

"But, I'm not-" I tried to say, but he had already ran for the exit, shoving his tags at the guard on his way out.

"DAN'S IN CHARGE!" I heard echoing through the airport.

Great. Just great.

I turned to face said interns. There were four of them, middle to pension aged, all in blue jumpsuit like attire.

"Right. Well, uh, so what did he tell you guys before now?"

"Where we are meant to be at what times, where we clean and where the equipment is." A man said.

"Right." What to do, what to do!? "We shall have a, uh, practice at that, so you should grab the, uh, equipment and get to it. This will count in you training; it's part of the individual section." God I hope that was okay to tell them that.

The four nodded enthusiastically and scurried off. Well. That was easy.

I followed my nose to the terminal. Canada? She went to bloody _Canada?!_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

We walked at human speed to the stables down the road from the property, hand in hand. The morning sun gently washed over us, a refreshing bath of light. It warmed my skin. In Dmitri's case, the sun did nothing but provide a pearly sheen across his bare arms. His hair, now a lighter brown from the sun, still flopped over his eyes like a boy bander.

"Why do you keep your hair like that?" I asked him.

"Ah, all the better to entice you with my dear." He cackled.

I pushed him towards a ditch. A breeze went past me and I felt warm hands at my waist.

"Why did you do that?" he Dmitri breathed at my ear. I shivered all over. "You will regret it later."

My mind was whirring with ideas and they were promptly cut short by Dmitri's soft lips kissing the base of my throat. I couldn't think straight.

"What about the horses?" I managed to stutter, I turned in his arms. "You promised me to tech me how to ride."

Dmitri's eyes darkened with Bella saying that. "Ride what?" he murmured, his mind in a haze.

I searched his eyes. In all fact, he was only twenty when he was turned. So really, he wasn't that much older.

"Horses." I reluctantly said. Despite me only having one relationship in my life and that not even being a successful one, I know what happens and how to do things when they get... intimate.

He reached down and kissed me. It was a sweet kiss, gentle. He lingered by my face.

"I can wait." He said quietly. "You've only known me for a week."

"That long?" it felt longer to me. Much longer. Years.

We stood in the sounds of Canada.

"C'mon. The horses are waiting for you." He walked down the lane, gently pulling my arm along with him.

We walked down the lane, not without the occasional trip from my two left feet. Dmitri caught me easily as he would a tennis ball. I felt so clumsy, while he trekked the country path as easy as you would take a breath.

The smell of the stables hit my nose well before we saw any horses. I can only imagine how Dmitri's senses were treating him. He wrinkled his smooth face in disgust.

"How can you cope with the smell?" he demanded. "I fear it's got worse over the centuries."

"I don't know." I confessed. "Mind over matter?"

"You must have one seriously powerful mind to ignore this wretched smell." He concluded.

There were a few stable hands sorting through the horse systematically as we arrived; while one checks the horses' health, another tops the feed and a third clearing out the stall. They noticed our presence. The hastily finished the horse they were on and promptly left the stables.

"I'm guessing that they aren't too used to human company either?"

"Those vamps aren't used to human being around that they cannot eat."

"They were vampire?" I really couldn't tell them apart.

"Yeah, they have a diet of mostly animals, with a tad of human. Certain quantities of each can have different effects on the appearance of the vampire."

"Curious." I replied.

I looked to the horses, each of them craning their neck to gain my attention. Only one stall didn't have a head bobbing over the stall. I walked to it, letting go of Dmitri's hand. I peered over the stall, and my breath was caught.

In it, a large horse resided. Its main white body was covered with cow markings of black and dark greys. Its hooves were showered in a white fur curtains. It had a black face with a mane of jet black, covering half of its face, the lower of which was white. The tail had the same colourings as the mane.

Feeling my gaze, the horse turned its grand head to face me. Its bright black eyes seemed to have a knowing look about them. It snorted.

"She's a Gypsy vanner. She came in early this morning, rescued from a ditch. " Dmitri supplied. He looked to my face, which was transfixed by the beautiful mare. "And she is yours."

I looked to him. "Mine?"

"Didn't Johnny say that you can choose a horse?"

I hugged him, viciously. If he were human, he would have broken a bone from how tight I held him.

"I'd hate to see what you'd do to me when you're angry." He breathed.

I let him go. "You _have_ to teach me to ride!" I pleaded. "I promise I'll do everything you say and even muck out the stables."

"Don't you do that anyway?" he said, clearly avoiding the question.

"Will you teach me?" I looked him in the eyes. He held my gaze.

"I must be stupid."

"YAY!" I squealed, hugging him again. I reached up and kissed him full on, trying to portray the happiness that he had given me. He returned the kiss with passion. My hands went through his fine hair, grasping a firm hold.

"if," Dmitri breathed. "You don't let me," he kissed me. "Get tacked up," he trailed kisses down my neck, "You won't learn how to." He returned to my lips. "Ride."

"okay." I sighed.

He led me to the large cupboard where we each put on riding gear. The trousers, which I later learned were called joppers, were extremely clingy to my legs. They literally clung to all the lines of my thighs and sculpted themselves around my backside. I was not at all comfortable with the definition that these supposedly flattering trousers gave me. Dmitri's eyes could not keep to my face. They lowered themselves to what is seemed to others as shapely pins more times than I care to count.

It's all well and good that he loves me the way I am, but I'm really insecure about my figure, as all girls are when we reach an age. He assures me that my figure is perfect to him, he's one to talk. He doesn't have to wear extremely tight trousers.

But I am not one to moan. What he was wearing was _very_ nice for my eyes to feast over.

He had a low riding tank top, showing his toned arms and chest. His trousers where lose fitting and hung of his defined hips. He wore brown stable boots, which appealed to me immensely. Many thoughts went through my mind with those boots, some of which involved Dmitri with near to no clothes on. I blinked several times, shaking the images from my head. Damn these hormones!

"what?" Dmitri asked. "This is what I wear for riding."

"riding what?" I asked

He walked closer to me, near enough that his body was breaths away from mine. A smile graced his mouth.

"Horses, of course."

I hit him playfully. "When are you going to teach me how to ride? I could just go away y'know and do something else."

"What something would that be?"

"I don't know. A shower?"

"I would love to teach you how to have a shower properly."

I would have let him, if not for the prospect of horse riding. Decisions, decisions.

Damn it to hell.

"We could do horse riding tomorrow." Dmitri said. His hands reached for mine. His fingers made gentle circles in my palms. Tingles went up my arms. My reason went out the window when those tingles reached my stomach.

"We could do horse riding tomorrow." I said. I reached up to kiss Dmitri. Time went agonizingly slow. My lips melded with his and it was just... right.

After what seemed like an age, we broke apart, I instantly missed the contact.

"Do you want that shower now?" he murmured.

I nodded. Immediately he scooped me up bridal style and sped to the house. He kissed me again before setting me down.

"I'll give you a few human minutes?" he asked

"Yeah." I reached up and passionately locked lips. When I ended, Dmitri looked dishevelled and breathless.

"What you do to me, woman." He turned away and went out the room.

I let out a breath. This is happening isn't it? I shut the bathroom door and leant against it. I've only ever dreamed of going this far with Edward, he being ever cautious never went further than a light peck. I know how it all works, I didn't skip sex ed while in my depressive state. Hell, I even had a few protections with me. When they gave them out, I stuffed them into my bag and didn't bother to take them out. I'd never thought that I would get this far with anyone while still in education. Boys be damned, I needed to get my grades up. Now that school wasn't an excuse...

I'm really doing _it._ I could hear my breaths in the large, empty bathroom. Taking a shower with Dmitri didn't automatically mean sex, did it? just a mutually shared wash. Where we would have a heavy make out. In the shower. Naked.

Holy shit. It meant sex.

"Grow a pair, Bella" I told myself. "You can control yourself." I breathed again. I looked in the mirror opposite. My eyes were bright and young; my hair was, amazingly, in a manageable condition. I had my nice underwear on. I could do this.

The shower was combined with the bath tub. It was rather large and could definitely hold four or five people. If you ran that way. I reached in and turned on the shower, the water was already luke warm. I took off my trousers, top and socks and folded them in a neat pile on the chair. A final look in the mirror showed a confident Bella. A Bella that was an adult.

"Dmitri?" I called opening the door. A small wind escaped the bedroom. Dmitri was in his boxers, very black, very clingy boxers. With a small tent.

"Are you ready?" he asked gently.

"Mhm." I confirmed. I opened the bathroom door wider and nearly laughed at his reaction. His eyes went wide at the black undergarments. His eyes raked over me.

"You're beautiful, Bella"

He walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He reached for my hands, brought them to his lips and kissed them. My hands found themselves on his shoulders while his moved to my hips. His thumbs made little circles, making me shiver. I couldn't stand this anymore.

Without my mind saying so, my lips had crushed against Dmitri's, trying to gain entrance to his mouth. He happily obliged and lifted me up, my legs found their way around his torso. I held hard, he wouldn't feel any pain. I could be as rough as I wanted.

"there are too many clothes between us." Dmitri managed to spurt in-between our tongue tied battles. His hands grazed my pants, edging them down slowly to reveal my full backside.

"By the gods, you are Olympus sent." He gasped, caressing my behind with his soft but firm hands. My pants were around my ankles by then, I promptly stepped out of them. His hands then roamed upwards. "This, too, needs to go." He growled. It was a very sexy growl, warmth pooled in my stomach. This feeling was unfamiliar. Does this happen? Meh. Who cares?

He unhooked my bra from my body. He stopped mid undress. "You must have been a demi goddess of Aphrodite." My bra was chucked on the floor, replaced by his hands massaging my breasts. I tingled all over, craving more.

His mouth started to make a trail from my mouth to my chest, shivers fell in his wake. His hot mouth reached my breast. I was pleasantly shocked to find that his attention was exciting me more. That heat surged through me again. My back arched, pushing me towards Dmitri more, I needed the contact.

The shower now steamed and its mist coated us. He released me from his lips and hitched my up his body. The tent in his pants definitely more prominent than before. My hands tugged at the hem.

"These. Off. Now." I growled. I didn't know that this sound could come from my mouth. Dmitri clearly liked this. He happily obliged my demanding request.

His manhood was free and standing at attention. I gasped. I've never seen a guys' below parts before. Not even when I baby sat. His shaft was long and thick. How was it even going to fit?

He guided us to the shower and we entered the blistering water. He caressed my body, I shivered and moaned. Shocked at first at the sounds. My eyes darted to Dmitri. His eyes were full of desire. He smiled. His head bent down and licked my neck. The shivers intensified when he braced me against the wall. His manhood grazed against my thigh. I gasped.

"Do you want to?" he murmured. "If you're not ready..."

"No." My hands touched the sides of his face. "I'm ready." I kissed him deeply.

His hand reached the taps and turned them off. He gently picked me up and lifted me through to the bedroom. He laid me on the bed by the pillows, while his hand reached into a draw and pulled out a packet. With quickness, he put the condom on, eagerly; one may want to describe it.

He kissed me deeply, while his hands roamed my body again and again, tracing small patterns down my sides. His fingers carefully ventured down to my unmentionable areas. My breathing quickened as his fingers entered me. I gasped and panted at his movements inside me. He added a third finger; this made me gasp in pain slightly. His hands were quite large.

"Did I hurt you?" panic was in his voice. "Should I stop?"

I leant up.

"If you stop fucking me." I growled. "I will do something drastic."

His eyes darkened. Lust now filled his eyes. He plunged a fourth finger, wracking my body in pleasure.

"Are you sure?" he asked again. I nodded vigorously.

He lined up his member with my pulsating entrance and gently started to push himself in.

A pain that was worse than any period contorted my stomach. I cried out.

"Bella?" Dmitri panicked. "I'm so sorry; I should have stretched you more."

"No, it's fine. I'm a virgin. This is supposed to happen. I'm fine." I gasped

He held still for a time, not even daring to move a muscle. The pain ebbed away slowly. I clenched my stomach muscles; I could feel part of his member inside me. The intrusion to my regions turned pleasurable instead of painful.

"Go on." With the verbal confirmation, he slowly thrust into me, sending waves of pleasure through my body.

The sensations were heavenly. "Oh, god." I moaned. His thrusts increased.

"Bella!" he cried as spasms went through my regions, clenching around him.

We both cried in pleasure at the same time. I relaxed contentedly onto the bed, while Dmitri still hovered above me, still inside me pulsing.

He gently disengaged from me, I missed his warmth. He kissed me sweetly before he lay beside me.

"I love you, Isabella Marie Swan." Dmitri said.

And for the first time, I believed it unconditionally.


	17. Chapter 17

_**a/n. im so sorry. i have been terrible. forgive me please readers of the phone, i have not been in a good place. i lost two persons very close to me and i have only just brought myself to check any email/fanfiction/type anything these last three days. im really sorry, i will do better to keep up with updates**_

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><p>Chapter 17<p>

Screams. Endless screams ricocheted through his brain. Why do they insist on screaming? Does it not damage their throats? He couldn't recall if it did. It was too long ago for him to remember. The screeches of the females were the worst. The pitch alone was enough to agitate human hearing. Even more so to the vampires.

This girl. This girl was not squirming, not moving rather. The venom was definitely going through her veins at an agonizingly slow pace so most defiantly be painful beyond belief. Yet she doesn't move.

Curious.

Edward sat on his chair and watched the girl. He was hungry but he dared not to move. He wanted to know everything about this girl; where she lived, her school, heck, even her favorite novels. There was something about this girl, this tall, dirt blonde haired girl, that made him stay.

"Edward?" he heard. That woman was the bane of his existence. It was her fault that he was questioning his conscience at night. She had made him kill so many. Ruin so many. Turn so many.

"What are you doing?" she purred. "Why aren't you in my bed?"

He groaned inwardly. Her bed was not even on his to do list, rather on, in fact, his never do list.

"This one won't wake." He said as emotionlessly as possible. If Victoria found out that he held an interest that would be the end of the girl.

"Ignore her. She will come round in time."

"It has been three days. She should be awake and killing now."

Victoria entered the small room. She looked at the walls with such disgust that the paint could have peeled off at her gaze. But it would have to do. This abandoned building was the only place to house all the babies.

"She probably is stubborn. Like that mud haired girl. She wouldn't give you want you wanted."

Edwards head twitched. "What girl?"

"What was her name? Nella? Stella?"

"Isabella."

"Yes, that blood bag. She did smell delightful. Is that why you stayed with her?"

"Yes." He said plainly. This was getting too much.

"I did hear down in the bar that she's off with another."

Edwards head flicked round. "What?"

"She went off with a vampire from the Volturi. Why are you so concerned?"

"I wanted to drain her." Edward said quickly.

"From what I hear, there won't be much left to drain by the end of the week."

Edward panicked inside. How did this happen? After all he had done to protect her, she goes back to danger!

"I'm going out."

* * *

><p>I hate planes.<p>

I mean, _really_, hate planes. Unbelievably I had managed to get onto the airline staff. Something to do with one of the guys getting flu, they needed another guy, a good looking guy they specified particularly. Well. I was happy to oblige, but I didn't expect to be sitting/standing on a plane serving the poshos tea and cake. Then promptly gripping to the attendants' seat for dear life. I thought planes were meant to be the height of technology, not the equivalent of jeeps with wings. It was announced that there was 'turbulence', I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud, heads turned my way in disgust.

Stifling my laughter, I continued to pray to whatever gods would care to listen to a shape shifting teenager for the plane not to crash into smithereens. By some divine miracle, my prayers were answered and we landed, what I suppose was, safely. Putting it out there now, there were a lot of bumps and bruises on my ass. I really should complain, but if I, 'Dan', wanted to keep my job then I probably should keep my trap shut.

I wobbled off the plane and gradually made my way through the staff rooms to an exit. I breathed deeply. The air was clean; pines were clearly fragrant on the wind. If I were a psychotic vampire who will drain the life out of me, where would I go to not arouse suspicion? Mountains? That would be too obvious. Large city to cover any tracks? Well, Bell has a knack of getting around a city easily. And she can scream rather loudly. So I'm thinking that he wouldn't have taken her there. That leaves only one place; countryside.

I grinned. Hours of running in the best forests around? I think I can deal with that.

* * *

><p>I felt the suns warmth on my back. Then i felt the throb in my stomach, the ache that i could feel in the pit of my belly wasn't exactly unwelcome. I felt whole, if that made any sense at all. Hands grazed my side fleetingly, i made a sound in protest. Sitting up from the bed, slowly, hand grasping the sheets to cover up my apparent nakedness, I saw Dmitri in the corner by the window. His hand covered by his mouth.<p>

"What's wrong? Why are you over there and not over here?" I asked. My voice sounded rough.

"You're bleeding." He barely spoke.

"Bleeding?" I looked to the sheets. Oh no. Not now. I'm not due for another week at least, two at most.

"Oh, god. I'm so sorry. I thought I counted right." My face went red with embarrassment. "I'll clean it up."

I gathered up the sheets off the bed. Then I halted in the middle of the floor. Was there a washing machine?

CRACK.

I swiftly turned around to find the bed in pieces, Dmitri's hands were throwing the bed pieces outside the window.

"Why the hell are you doing that?" I exclaimed.

"I may... Lose control. Any traces of blood... I don't want you hurt."

The bed was now out, leaving me standing with bloody sheets and Dmitri standing in the corner.

"Why is this effecting you so much? You had some of my blood before."

"That blood was at your fingertip. It has at least ten times less potency as other blood. Hundreds of time less than blood from _there."_

I stood, unsure what to do.

"Cousin, you haven't killed another one have you? I know its been some time since you have taken a girl home with you, your manners must have been appalling."

Johnny waltzed in the bedroom door. He was struck dead. My behind was bare for the world to see. And Johnny's eyes were on it like a dart.

"What kind of horny shit are you guys into?" he expressed.

Dmitri grabbed Johnny by the neck.

"Don't. You. Ever. Say. That. About. My. Girlfriend." He snarled. I could hear the breaking of vampire skin, cracks appeared on Johnny's neck.

"Ok, ok. Chill! I swear I won't!" Johnny's body clambered to the floor in a heap.

"So," Johnny gasped. "How was it?"

Right, my turn. "It was brilliant. Best experience so far, well at least top five." I grinned. The sheet now firmly wrapped around my backside and without another word, I walked to the bathroom and closed the door. I'm pretty proud of that speech. Yeah. That felt awesome to put two men, no, two boys in their place.

I breathed. I really needed a shower. Dropping the sheets on the floor, I went to the shower and turned it on. The heat was in the water instantly, unlike the shower at Charlie's. You had to wait at least twenty minutes before it was even remotely warm. I stepped in the shower, the water washed over me and it was like heaven. I reached for the soap and lathered it in my hair.

I heard the door open and close. "Dmitri?"

"How did you guess?"

"Johnny wouldn't dare come in. He actually wants to keep his sanity. I've already got yours."

He started to laugh. "Well, he wouldn't come in here if he valued more than his sanity."

Dmitri got in the shower with me. He held a flannel and washed my back, planting delicate kisses as he went.

"Where the hell have you been all my life?" I murmured.

"Mending wounds, searching people. Being my sexy cook savvy self." He smirked.

I grinned. "What's the plan for today?"

"I have to do the errand Aro sent me. I cannot believe that he can actually text now."

"Well, I'm going to start the James Patterson collection. How long will you be?"

"I have no idea. This one could be tricky to acquire." He sighed.

"I could come with you." I blurted. No, that is a stupid thought, I shouldn't have suggested it at all. He's going to say no. Why the hell would he trust me with a Voltori job.

"Actually, it may help." Dmitri finished washing my back. I turned off the shower and turned to him. "This woman is known to not like men, at all. You could persuade her to part with a piece of art work."

"Yes. I could do that. I'm good with persuasion."

"We better get ready then, it takes a while to get there." Dmitri kissed me tenderly. "I will meet you downstairs when you're ready."

"Okay." I kissed him.

He left the bathroom with a grin on his face. Too right, i was grinning at the sight of his backside shimmying out the door. Oh, he knew I was checking him out.

I laughed. This day couldn't get any better could it? Damn you, Mother Nature! I'm a strong, independent woman who can have her way with her boyfriend! Edward would've never let me do anything like this. He barely gave me enough room to breathe, always saying what i could and couldn't do. Well, stuff him. He can go and mellow in his depressing eternity, I have my life. He can no longer constrict me. In fact, if her came here begging for me to come back to him, I will willingly spit in his eye.

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><p>All I could smell was dirt and pines. I had run for hours. My fuel tank was almost on empty. I would have to eat game. The last time I did it, it was really gross. I had to eat a deer. It didn't taste great. Maybe since they are herbivores? Whatever. When you're hungry you cannot really be fussy about what your prey had eaten for lunch while you eat them for dinner.<p>

A musty, rich smell entered my senses. This was definitely not deer, they had a grassy smell along with sour berries. I followed the scent, through trees and over hills. All the minute wildlife made themselves scarce in my wake, too right. I would have pounced on them. The smell led to a wolf. A small one, looked more like a dog mixed with a bear if I'm being honest. A small wolf-dog-bear. I know there's a name for them, but skipping classes when I wolfed out meant that I missed biology a lot. Well, the small wolf-dog-bear was certainly more appetising prospect than the deer.

I stalked the scent to a clearing. Hiding in the shadows, i scoped the scene. The small wolf-dog-bear was eating a rabbit. Oh boy,that is desperation if i ever did see it. Rabbit doesn't even taste great when cooked. I jumped the animal an pinned it down. It growled fiercely in retort.

_Calm the hell down, or I'll make it worse for you._ I thought aloud

_Get off me you bastard! _

Small wolf-dog-bear thing say what?!

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><p>update will be before the end of February... let me find my notes... they're in the shamble of a desk somewhere...<p>

thank you to the i think its a total of 40 odd, lovely people who have Favorited/followed this story!

nearly 10,000 views, only 400 more to go!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

After I got ready, suitably dressed in black jeans and a blouse, we got in the car and started to drive south. Apparently the drive wasn't too long, but it felt like eons until we stopped for a coffee. Well, I stopped for a coffee, Dmitri held a cup and swirled it with a spoon, adding sugar sachets every so often.

"I have no idea how you humans can stand that insipid beverage. It's bad for you, the caffeine kick is only temporary, if you want to stay awake, have vitamins or something. That liquid just smells vile"

"I happen to like it. So shut your trap."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Why does he do that? Always so witty and annoying yet I just want to chub his chiseled cheeks for being so adorable. I really cannot be angry with this man; he is just too cute for his own good.

"So this art collector?"

"Yes?"

"What kind of art does she deal in?"

"Every kind as far as I'm aware, Aro really wants this particular painting though and she has just recently persuaded the painter to let go of it."

"So this is the precious Geraldine painting I've heard so much about."

Dmitri made a noise. "How did you know of the Geraldine painting? I thought that it was top secret."

I looked at him, tapping my nose. "I do have contacts to inside the art sector; I want to be doing museum work after all. I have to know what art is up and coming."

I grinned at his astonishment.

Within the next half hour, we arrived at the house of Margret Lowes. It was rather grand, the décor resembled a pick and mix; a castle stone wall here, grand Victorian style doors, bay windows, flower tresses, attic windows. It was just a miss match off all the different eras. I thought it quite amazing myself.

Dmitri, on the other hand, did not. His eyes grazed over the horrendous combinations that physically injured his eyes. He thought the combinations tasteless and fickle. He commented that she should have picked one style and stuck to it.

"Well, you don't have to be here at all, so why did you come?"

We turned around to find a woman in her fifties, signs of grey creeping in her auburn hair. Her clothes were covered in paint, the worn plaid shirt ruffed to her elbows and her shoes could have seen better days. She glared at Dmitri.

"You are not welcome here. Go away."

She walked to her door. "Go now, or I will pull my gun on you. Your kind isn't welcome on my land."

"Wait, wait!" my voice rose. "I'm not with him! He just drove me here."

I turned to Dmitri who, as was granted to him, had a confused face. "You can go and park the car and have your break, I shall call you to come and get me. Scoot."

His realization hit him very slowly. What was it with boys and subtle hints? It really is amazing how the human race is still with us. He got in the car and drove off without another word. I walked to the porch. "That artwork I was meant to collect? Can I see it?"

Margret Lowes stood in bewilderment. "You don't look like a Dmitri."

"Surname, I like to keep it professional. Call me Bella." I extended my hand out to her, she shook it warily.

"Come in, then. I'm sorry for the mess; I've had a lot of work coming through recently."

We went into the house. The entry was spacious contrary to the building work suggestions on the decorative timber supports. It was quite moderns, quite white, but it was covered in boards and frames of all sizes, some sealed in plastic and bubble wrap while others were open to the elements. The spray of colors blurred into one as we passed through the rooms to a studio at the back of the house. A piece caught my eye.

"What's this piece called?" It was a landscape of a city in terror, blood covered the streets and bodies littered the buildings and the women screamed in the wake of a shadowed man.

"Eternal Damnation, it is a Cullen piece, it's in good condition."

I back tracked. "Cullen? As in Carlisle?"

"Yes. Which other Cullen could it be? Rosalie is the designer, Carlisle is the painter, Esme is the writer. I have a few of their works around here somewhere, quite a rare find for the dress, it is over thirty years old but in my opinion it is a timeless piece."

"So the Geraldine piece?" I asked.

"I have to keep it locked up. The painter had specific instructions for the piece when it is to be unveiled. Lock and key he said, don't show anyone until Dmitri has seen it. At first I was confused, but hey, who am I to judge a pure artistic genius."

She went to the safe at the back of the studio room. It was rather tidy for a studio, the paints were in line and the brushes were spotless and organized. Paper was pinned up on a large clip board wall; all the different sizes were labeled as well as the types of paper. It's a very good system; I could never find any lined paper in my house.

"Here it is." she got out the canvas and handed me an envelope. It was an old envelope sealed with wax.

Margret Lowes took the coverings of the board and I was astounded. The beautiful scene held the most detailed sunset on a beach that I had ever seen, even the specks of purple were intertwined with the rich yellows and reds of the setting light. The beach looked as if each individual grain of sand had been put there under the greatest care. The two figures sat in the middle, on a crumpled towel, with the silhouettes of their hands were holding the others gently.

"Open the envelope." Margret said as she was leaving the room.

* * *

><p><em>Get off of me now or you will be sorry. <em>It growled.

_What are you?!_ I returned.

_Get of me and I will tell you!_

_How can I trust you?_

_I'm a lynx for crying out loud! How the hell am I going to take a gigantic wolf down?!_

_Point taken._ I let the lynx go.

She shook herself from dirt. Her fur was a dull white with lines of dark grey specked across her back. Her ears led to a point and were drawn back; her bright green eyes studied my movements.

_What are you? _She asked.

_Wolf. From Forks._

_Forks? Is it annexed with spoons and knives? _She chortled.

_Yes. Ha ha, you thought of that all by yourself. I'm Jacob._

_Yes, and? You expect me to tell you my name and origin?_

_Well, it is polite to._

_Hm. I'm a Canadian lynx. From Canada. Caitlyn Shore. _She nodded. _What are you doing in my territory?_ She growled.

_I'm looking for my friend. Brown hair, smells like strawberries. She was hanging with a bleach scented freak. Any idea where I can find her?_

_I did smell some strawberries the other day. But that place is surrounded with vampires. There is no way in hell that you are going to be able to get in there alone._

_Well, could I borrow some of your lynx friends?_

_No. _

_Why not?_

_I'm the only one left._ I heard the loud rumble from her belly. _I have to go and eat. _She picked up the rabbit in her mouth and grimaced a little at the taste.

She looked at me reluctantly. _Do you want to come with me?_

_I don't have anything else to do._

I followed her through the forest and up the hills. All the other wildlife hid in the under bush as we ran. After a few minutes, we reached a rocky hill side.

_You live up here?_

_Hunters won't come up this slope; it's too dangerous for them. But I assume that you can climb? _ Her tone was sarcastic.

_Are you saying that I can't? _

_Wolves don't climb, they run._ She leapt up the hill face, darting up the jagged edges of rocks like an acrobat would vaults.

Well. Hell. I don't like climbing. I've never really tried it before, but am I going to make wolf kind look bad in front of a cat? Hell no.

I carefully followed where Caitlyn had pounced, and I must say, this wasn't as elegant as I hoped it would be. My clumsy footing nearly left me with broken bones and bruises on several occasions, but I made it to the top where a cave.

When I got there, there was no lynx. In its stead was a bloody handed girl, skinning a rabbit.

She was naked.

I reeled back a little. And turned around. And thought of the gym teacher.

"What are you waiting for? It will get colder out there." her voice called. "My cooking isn't that bad."

Right. She's cooking food. Right. Pull yourself together, Black. It is only a very naked, very gorgeous looking girl with blood all over her hands. And your shorts are torn to shreds from running through the thorn bushes. Think of this as the ultimate test of strength.

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><p>thank you to all the people who have followed this story, im a very bad writer for not keeping to my word, but coursework, mock exams and other things were prioritized. i promise i will update sooner next time. peace and love xx Jazz<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Edward waited impatiently in the line. How could humans be so slow when they want to get to places? They could just let all of them get onto that flying monstrosity without all these checks. He tapped his foot. This is ridiculous. One of the guards had stopped an elderly woman with her carpetbag. They were penalizing her for having an bag that escaped the regulations. Typical humans, always stocking to the regulations like glue. Absolutely nothing can be wrong in their diminutive lives.

Now he was at the metal detector. _My, my, my, I wouldn't mind strip searching him behind the curtain._ He was disgusted with the guards' words. She was married. Happily. With a child of seven. And yet, she still had her secret job of being a prostitute because she loved the thrill of sex so much. The tragic and distasteful lives of humans that he had overheard over the last hundred years. How they made him wish that he had died in the influenza so as to not see what this world had come to. Then, he digresses; I would not have met Bella.

The guards woman swiped the detector over him excruciatingly slowly. Is there not a plane that these people need to be on? Do they not have to rush somewhere exotic, or someplace where they can relax and 'take a load off'? Did she not have a job to do other than undressing him with her greedy eyes? As soon as she was done, he strode through the gate, collecting his bag and all but ran to the boarding area. Although, it would probably make the security tapes run wild. But we mustn't do that now, must we? Such a shame. What fun it would be to baffle the humans.

"Have a nice flight sir." The airhostess said sweetly. She didn't wish me a happy flight. She just wanted to get out of her horrible shoes. They were slowly killing her feet. She had already used damp tissue to stop the bleeding on her toes. Edward got on the plane and went to his seat. It smelled like they hadn't cleaned this plane for months. It smelt like a dog pound. Edward wrinkled his nose in disgust. How could the humans not notice this smell?

The plane ride was long, he took the next flight but it detoured all over the states to pick up people. His thirst was growing by the hour.

"Can I help you sir?" the hostess was hovering like a vulture over a rotting corpse. She smelled of citrus fruits. Fresh. Warm.

"No." Edward strained. He turned to look at her, hoping to send the message that he wasn't to be disturbed again.

_God, what weird eyes. Must be a convention or something. They do look awesome, but its freaky._ The hostess went away thinking about the first and only convention she went to. Great memories.

The plane finally landed in Canada. At last, he thought, I can find her.

Edward hurried off the plane and went out of the airport. There was a lot of people about, but that didn't stop him from walking out of the place then running to the nearest hotel. He checked in and was shown to his room.

It was spacious, the double bed against the wall with the TV across from it. He had no need for the wardrobe nor the bathroom. He wasn't going to stay long enough to get anything out of his bag. It was just a prop. Another piece of the intricate basket of lies that he had weaved over the years. All this lying and deceit. It was tiring work.

He looked out the window; to the left of him lay forest, to the right, a small town in the distance. Bella was in one of these places. I will just see her, Edward reasoned, just to see that she is alive and well. Kill the vampire scum that stole her away from safety. Leave without her knowing. Good plan. Simple plan. Safe plan.

What if she does see me? Edward mused; she would be overjoyed at my return. I wouldn't have to leave her side again. She will be mine. He clenched his jaw. No. I would have to tear away from her again.

He cast his mind back to the moment of intense pain that Jasper felt upon leaving Forks. Cracks had appeared around his head and neck. After, he had said that it was Bella's pain. Pain for Bella cannot happen twice. Better stay well hidden so she cannot find me.

* * *

><p>I examined the envelope more closely. The edges were tinged with yellow and it was crumpled around the seal, as if someone had opened it again and again to correct a mistake. I turned the letter over. The writing was cursive. Feminine. What before was curiosity was now hatred. I tore the letter open.<p>

_Dmitri,_

_I knew that you will read this, I specifically asked my son to attach this to the painting. Aro wouldn't trust anyone else in collecting his art. I am sorry. I did a horrid thing back then, I regret it with all my being. I wish I could take it back, but I cannot. He wasn't at fault. It was all me. I just wanted you to know that. Don't blame yourself._

_RH_

The letter left me stunned. Since when did Dmitri have a past relationship? It had to be a past relationship; I didn't get the highest grades in my year in English Language to know any different. I hated the fact that he had had relationships in the past. He told me different. He lied to me. I shoved the envelope in my pocket, placed the wrappings carefully back onto the painting. I exited the room, manoeuvring the canvas through the door and around the other pieces of artwork.

"Read the letter?" Margaret Lowes asked from her table of papers.

"Yes, it was very informative. Thank you for keeping hold of it for me." I let loose what I thought to be a convincing smile.

"Welcome. Your driver is here to pick you up. I hope we meet again someday."

"Yes. So do I."

I went outside the mismatched house, finding Dmitri leaning against the car looking up to the sky.

"I'm good to go." I opened the boot and tenderly placed the canvas in the back, making sure that the corners were covered. Getting in the car, I adjusted my jacket so that it was firmly closed. I crossed my arms across my chest, minimising the close contact that we had had on the way here.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Dmitri looked concerned.

"Everything is fine. Let's just go." I said, attempting to not say it through my teeth.

Dmitri looked me over, trying to read me I presume. I'm officially a closed book to him. Until he tells me about this RH woman.

Dmitri continued to look confused as we drove back to the ranch.

* * *

><p>I went into the cave and stood awkwardly at the edge. I had no idea where to look. Caitlyn was in near the fire holding a knife nimbly in her hand. The skinned rabbit was cooking over the fire.<p>

"You will get cold. Don't blame me if your balls drop off." she repeated.

Giving in to her, I got closer to the fire and sat, covering my down below with a nearby blanket.

"The area always cold at night?" I attempted at small talk.

"Yes. Always has been." she said curtly.

"Any disappearances in the area?"

"A few, most left notes of suicide or just left with no reason to the next town over."

"How many vamps do you think there are?"

"Around about 80, possibly 100." She turned the rabbit over. "You wouldn't be able to take them all on."

I stared at her. "I have managed much worse odds."

We sat in silence while the rabbit sizzled.

"How did you end up in this cave?" I asked reluctantly, to break the silence if anything.

She paused in her attention to the rabbit. "My family died." she stumbled. I could see the build up of tear just waiting to pour down her rosy cheeks. "They died."

She abruptly turned away and rubbed her face with her bloody hands, not realising until after that the tears had mingled with the blood to create warrior streaks. "The vampires came here a year ago." Bitterness edged her words, despite her voice cracking. "They came and tried to claim the territory. We wouldn't let them hurt the people. The head of the clan decided that democratic means was the best option. The vampires thought otherwise." She turned back to me, eyes raging. "They released a virus that killed my family. They are the ones responsible. I want to tear them apart. It's thanks to them that I am alone. It's thanks to them that food is scarce enough without the other predators being involved. I am hardly surviving, but I have to." Tears ran freely down her face.

I can't stand a girl crying. I really can't.

Standing up, I pulled her into a tight hug, not giving a care about anything else.

"You're not alone. There are others like us near here. I know there's a wolf clan just near the border. You should go to them." I murmured to her.

She pulled away from me. "I don't want to go anywhere. I have to reclaim my home. It's my duty." Caitlyn took the rabbit skewers off the fire and sat down, tucking into her kill.

I looked at her. She had already eaten through half of the rabbit.

"You need to have more than that. I will be back later." I raced out of the cave, changing while in mid air. She wasn't going to go hungry tonight.


	20. Chapter 20

**I am so sorry. So very sorry for the absent months. A very dear person to me passed away and I couldn't write, couldn't do much of anything really. I again apologise profusely. As ever, own nothing but the drastic character changes and the appealing spelling and grammar errors.**

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><p>The silence of the car was deafening. What was on her mind? Could it be something that I had done, without realising? It seems the likely option. Perhaps that Margaret Lowes woman had told her something that she didn't like. I gripped the steering wheel tighter. Who could ever be horrid to Bella? What if it was the painting? I know it was the an important thing for her to see, her love for the arts still astounds me. Perhaps she was let down by the art.<p>

I glanced over to her. Her arms were still firmly crossed over her jacket. I could see the whites of her knuckles showing. She must be angry, but other than her jaw being clenched I could discern no signs of her rage. Over the last few centuries, women have either inherited or secretly passed on the air of pissed off without actually saying a word. Women never used to be this… elusive. They used to outrightly say when they were annoyed or livid at you, especially when you were the one at fault. Nowadays though, every tiny thing is hidden amongst mixed messages. Cannot even find out if they like the meal that you lovingly prepared because of their masked feelings. Bella was using this exact tactic when I placed her dinner in front of her.

"Is the food ok?" I asked.

"It's lovely, thank you for making it for me." She continued eating her pasta, without looking up at me. I felt the ice in her voice create a glacier.

"Do you need a drink at all?"

"Water, please." She carried of chewing her food slowly.

I went to the cupboard for a glass. What on this earth have I done for her to be angry with me? I flicked the tap for the water. I'm going to ask her,all anger to hell.

"What's wrong?" I turned to face her. She stopped her mouthful.

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. Somethings wrong. What is it?" I stared her down. I was going to get this out of her.

"Really, it's nothing." She focused back on her food, pushing the pasta intently around her plate.

I stood in front of her.

"Was it something that Margaret Lowes said?" I pressed on.

I could see the defeat in her eyes. "Not exactly." Now we're getting somewhere. "It was in the note that came with the piece, it was a bit unexpected." She looked directly at me, flames shimmered across her eyes. "Who is RH?"

* * *

><p>Dimitri's' face was frozen in place. I stuck a chord did I?<p>

"Who is she?"

His mouth opened and closed. His hands cracked the table top. "Rebecca Harper."

Rebecca Harper. That's the name of his lover then. Rebecca. Harper. I hate it.

"Who is she?" I tried to ask with no emotion, but even through my own ears it sounded full of detestement.

"She was my wife." He barely whispered.

"Your wife?" I couldn't believe it. I got up and left the room, all but running to the safe haven of the library.

* * *

><p>I came back from the woods with what resembled a deer. It looked like a deer, but its furrier. It was quite large though, should keep Caitlyn going for a few days, a week if it keeps well enough. It was a pain in the jaw to get the carcass up the rocky surface, but I managed it. I reached the cave to find her sleeping in a ball, her previous tears still evident on her face. Her hair was in a tangle but that made her look so helpless. How can I not help her?<p>

I all but dumped the carcass on the floor while I shifted back. The metal taste of blood still lingered in my mouth. Ew, gross. I may be a wolf, but the idea of eating raw meat still sickens me. I grabbed some wood and rekindle the fire. The crackle to life woke Caitlyn with a start.

"Hey, there, sleepy head." I grinned, "Pleasant dreams?"

"No." She rubbed her eyes, "What's with the hunk of meat?"

"It's for you."

Her eyes went as wide as pancakes. "why did you do that? I'm perfectly capable of hunting for myself." She folded her arms.

Why must every female take a feminist stance when I do something for them? Is it so hard for them to say thank you?

"I know you are. No offence, but I'm bigger than you, so I can hunt bigger things other than rabbits."

"I was doing fine on rabbit. Only you came along and ruined my hunt." She grumbled. She looked up from her stubborn stance. "But thanks."

"Don't mention it. How would you like it cooked?"

"Rare." She grinned. "So typical for a carnivore."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I returned her grin and started to cut up the carcass.

* * *

><p>Edward reached the first town without great difficulty. It was easy enough to get on a bus in the pre-dawning of the day without the locals seeing him shine. It was meant to be an overcast day, but being cautious, he had taken no risks. The shadows were Edwards' companion throughout the day, more than once it had saved his skin from glittering. He had inquired after Bella at all the places of stay and spoke to the local people for any strange behaviours of individuals. He had no luck; the townsfolk knew none of Bella's description nor of any strange characters.<p>

The second town, however, had a more positive result. A few people had seen a girl with brown hair going into the bookshops and coming out with bag fulls of books every few weeks. Edward soon found out the location of the bookshops and waited. It didn't take him long to find Bella. She didn't seem like she was being held captive. Her scent was different, somehow, more defined. It ravished Edwards insides like a flame to dry wood. He clenched his hands around the metal railing. She was so close that he could touch her. But he mustn't. For her safety.

She went in and out of bookshop with armfuls of books each time. Where is she taking them? He followed her as far as the light would let him. She drove through towns and was headed to to countryside. How is her jailer letting her roam freely? It truly seems as if she was free.

Edward went back to the towns and to began enquires anew. Who lives out in the country? Are they alone? Names? He would find this information in order to rescue Bella. He must do it. It is his duty.

* * *

><p>I woke up to the sun on my face. Blinking, I rubbed my eyes and stretched my muscles. A cover fell from me. Dmitri must of come in. The piles of books that I had made to night previously were in neat stacks. He must of done that. The Shakespeare I was reading was balanced precariously on the side of the armchair with a bookmark in it. "Much Ado About Nothing" was my favourite, and this particular edition has scribblings in the margins. It was rather entertaining reading the writings along with the play, sometimes downright hilarious.<p>

Shrugging the cover onto the floor, I looked to the piles in despair. I was meant to be looking for a particular edition of Dorian Gray. The unedited version. I was sure that this fine collection would have a copy, but alas, not so. I went to sleep reading Beatrice's speech on Benedick.

I stood up almost knocking books flying, but a pair of hands caught them.

Dmitri quickly placed the books on the tables, out of the way of my clumsiness, and stood in the corner of the room. It was like he was scolded by a teacher and wearing the dunce hat.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered. "She left me, years ago, it was my fault. The memories of her are almost completely gone from my mind. I asked one of the guards to block the memories, they were too painful."

"Ok. I would have liked to have known that."

"I can barely remember her. Only glimpses."

"Fine. I'm going to need some time, okay?"

Dmitri nodded. "Take all the time you need." He placed a set of car keys on the table. "The car came today. I understand if you don't return, there's enough gas in it to last a couple hours."

He left the room quietly. I stared blankly at the door behind him. Mindlessly, i took the keys and shoved my shoes back on my feet. I went down the stairs, picked up my coat from the hook and went out the door without a look back. My heart lifted slightly at the sight of my bug, well, I've claimed it as my own. It started like a dream and in no time at all I was driving into town. Maybe there would be an antique bookshop with the copy of Dorian Gray that I wanted. No harm in looking I suppose.

I parked outside the bookshop and went into the loving embrace of musty books. The shop was quite orderly, both in alphabetical and genre, which I was thankful to. I searched the shelves for the book. There were other copies of the book, very beautifully bound ones, but they were not the edition I was looking for. The book keeper said that I might have more luck in the next town over as he was sure that his fellow keeper had talked of having a copy in brief passing. Despite the shop not having the book, I did not leave empty handed. Some new books by upcoming authors had made their ways into my car as well as the most exquisite copy of The Secret Garden, one of my all time favourites as a child. I know that it's prose is a bit weak, but I love the idea of people bonding so much over a common ground such as a garden. So much happiness gained from a simple planting of a seed.

I followed the instructions of the book keeper and in the next town, the owner did have a copy but it was sent to the shop in the city to be repaired, delicate bindings were not his specialty. He assured me that I would be the first to know of its return to the shop. This store had a much wider selection of novels than the local shop. I browsed for what seemed like hours, appreciating copies of Austen and Hardy in mint condition, the ones with illustrations were particularly beautiful. At times, I highly considered making an offer to the owner of such rare books, I didn't really have much money on me, and these books were worth a lot more than the few hundred that I had in my pocket. I gave the owner my number and went on my way, with a further pile of books to place in my bug. I seriously have a problem.

As I got in the car, a shiver went down my spine. I pulled my jacket across my body more, not that it did any good. I looked around, there wasn't anybody behind me. I must be imagining things. Over reacting, as always. Just a little bit of paranoia playing with my mind. Of course there is no one there. I looked to the shadows, I swear I saw some figure in the shadow of the tree, but when I blinked again, it was gone. Definitely my mind playing tricks. I shook my head and got back in the car, driving back to the ranch. Really, Isabella, get your shit together.

It was early evening when I reached the ranch. Dmitri was sitting on the front steps with his head in his hands. He looked so despaired, like a man who had given up. When I pulled up in front of him, his eyes found mine. If it were possible for a vampire to look puffy eyed from crying, this would be the moment. He stood as I got out of the bug.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do?" his voice was almost inaudible.

In all honesty, I was trying to not think about it. I was questioning myself through literature, and I know that that was not a good idea to do, but it gave me time.

"Yes." I moved towards him. "I've decided I don't care about what happened between you and Rebecca Harper all those years ago. It is in the past. You can't go back on the past."

I reached up to his face. "I care about you, and just you." I kissed him gently, trying to put all the feeling I could into it. I looked into his eyes. I knew what i had to say, I don't know when it became true for me until now.

"I love you, Dmitri."


	21. Chapter 21

A/n; Just a short one, really sorry, more deadlines have been taking priority, art exams starting, y'know usual excuses for my bad organisation of time. Future chapters will be shorter, literally I'm typing them in my lunch times and posting them when they are done, so I apologise for shortness :)

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><p>I must admit, I was pretty impressed with my cooking skills. I've never really 'cooked' before. Normally, I just find whatever's lying around and scoff it as is, if it needed to be heated, my best friend the microwave got me through the hard times. My stomach was pretty full, for once, and yet Caitlyn was still munching away.<p>

"Are you seriously still eating?"

She looked up from her food, "Yes. You have a problem?"

"No. It's just that I haven't seen someone eat so much."

"I was hungry." She didn't smile.

"It's a compliment." Her face still held.

"I don't comment on how much you eat."

"That's 'cause you ate more than me."

"It is rude to comment on how a lady eats." She continued to eat her meat.

I scoffed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"What is it, Jacob?" Her eyes, now glaring at me, flamed with anger.

"It's just funny, that you're not exactly ladylike."

"How so?" Her voice reached a dangerous tone.

"Little things. Like your eating. And your absent clothes."

She smirked. "Do my absent clothes make you feel uncomfortable, Jacob?"

I shifted slightly.

Her smirk turned to a wide grin. "You are, aren't you?" It was full on gleeful now. "You find me attractive!" She jumped in her seat. "You think you might have a chance with me since you brought me food and kept me company?" She giggled like a schoolgirl, then it took her and was laughing wholeheartedly.

"You have," she laughed and wiped her tears from her eyes, "no chance with me."

I was a little, to say the least, angered. What she said about me liking her, completely true, but to have no chance? That was uncalled for.

"Why?" I asked quietly.

She was still laughing. "What?" she wheezed between breaths. "What did you say?"

"Why?" I caught her lovely eyes. "Why don't I have a chance with you?"

She stopped laughing then. "Because."

"Because what?" I pressed.

"I don't like you in that way."

"You've barely known me a day."

"I can't like you in that way."

"Why not?"

"Because."

I stared at her for more.

"I like women"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

It was morning.

Charlie woke up as he had done over the past few weeks. His alarm blared out. He turned it off. He checked the local news for anything relating to Bella or her whereabouts, yet nothing had surfaced. He had his coffee, caffeinated, and his cereal. He then sat at the table with the papers from the other stations around the country, the ones from the previous weeks were stacked in various corners gathering dust. Charlie called around the stations to see if there was any immediate news, but like the previous mornings, there was no news to report.

He sighed. How long was this going to be? Bella hadn't gone to any relatives, she doesn't really know many people outside of Forks of where Rene was. He was pretty sure that she didn't go to the Cullens, not even the police knew where they were, so that was out. Jake was out following some lead that he said he had picked up, but that was weeks ago and Charlie hadn't heard much from him since.

He ran a hand through his hair. It was unlike Bella to talk to him that way over the phone, was she under duress? She must have been. Bella knew that he worried intensely about her, with an almost slight paranoia. She really wouldn't just up and leave without basic details of where she is going and who with. He reached for his jacket and left for the station, there must be some more evidence somewhere, any clue that might give any indication to where she went.

Charlie drove as furiously as the law allowed him to do, and he reached the station within twenty minutes. Deputy Steve was at his desk, sipping from a cup, when Chief Swan stormed in. Steve spluttered his drink.

"Charlie?!" he wiped his face, "What are you doing back? Your leave is not up yet."

"I know, I know. I'm not here really, don't tell Mark ok?" He went into his office and rummaged through the papers on his desk.

"You need me to do anything?"

Charlie looked to his colleague. Steve was quite good at finding this out that have been buried deep.

"Can you search for Bella's number plate?"

Steve shifted slightly. "We keep a constant lookout for it popping out anywhere. There haven't been any sightings."

"You're not getting me, Steve." Charlie looked up from his search. "I need you specifically to find it."

Steve's eyes widened. "By whatever means?"

Charlie thought for a second with hesitation. This way of searching was breaking a few laws, to say the least, it has to be done for Bella's sake. "Yes, by whatever means."

Steve tightened his lips. "Give me a few hours."

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><p>an I shall writing more, I have more free time to write now :)


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"You said that Jacob would be home by now."

Billy tapped his hands impatiently on his chair. Sam had made him a promise that Jacob would be home within a few days. It was now going into the third week. Bella had been missing for three weeks now, at the month mark was when the police force would reign in some of their resources and tell the whole 'it's a teenager thing' line over and over to Charlie, not that he would take any of that crap. Adding Jacob to the list would not do the investigation any good, especially since police meant prying eyes.

"I never said that he would he would be home by now. I expected him back over a week and a half ago." Sam's voice held an echo throughout the room. Billy kept in a scoff. As if Sam Uley had any power over him, an Alpha by blood.

"You could have sensed him out. It is easily done." It was no secret that Sam couldn't do all of the duties of a true alpha to an excellent extent. Knowing the location of a pack member must be one of them.

"I don't have his sense any more." Sam tightly said. Billy was shocked.

"What?" His fists clenched on his chair. "Why can't you? Is he too far away? Is he," Billy hesitated "injured?"

"No." Sam's own hand clenched up. "He broke from the pack."

Billy's head went to his hands. "How could you let this happen? There's no knowing where he is now!" He sat up. "Surely there is some trace?"

"If he just broke off, then there should be a faint line just in case the lone wolf decides to come back. With Jake there is nothing."

"What does that mean then?" Leah angered from the corner, seeming to appear out of nowhere.

"It's none of your business. This is not your concern." Sam barked, all his alpha put into one line.

"It is my concern. I know what you have been planning with my mother, Billy."

Billy looked between both of the wolves. "Not now, Leah. We'll talk about this later."

"Why? Since Sam's the pack leader shouldn't he be involved with this plan of yours?"

"Billy, what plan?" Sam's tone grew dark.

Billy was silent.

"What. Plan." Control echoed through his dark tones.

"I don't have to tell you." Leah spat.

"Tell me now, Leah." Sam clenched.

Leah glared at Billy. "Go on. Tell him. I'm sure he will understand."

Sam's glare burned through Billy.

"Leah is the only female wolf our tribe, and other tribes, have ever known." Sam knew this, who didn't? "Jacob holds the capability to be the start of an extremely strong line of wolves, as he is the alpha." Sam's face didn't betray his anger. "Leah and Jacob have been promised."

"What?" Sam growled. Despite him being forced to leave Leah due to the change, Sam still had feelings for Leah, much to Emily's unconditional love as an imprint.

"Jacob and Leah are promised. Leah has every right to be involved." Billy said carefully.

"What does it mean, with Jake breaking from the pack?" Leah returned.

Sam clenched his teeth. "No contact. No sense of where he is. No discernible scent to follow."

"So there is no hope to find him?" Leah said quietly.

"None."

Billy thought for a moment. "We'll have to find him the old fashioned way."

"That could take weeks! That is, if the rain hasn't cleared away the tracks." Leah exclaimed.

"We can't provide the manpower and keep our borders safe." Sam ran a hand through his hair."We can't go and look for him."

"Who said anything about 'we'?" Leah said, swiftly bounding out the door towards the woods.


End file.
